Among those sampling and demonstrating their tasty fayre in-store were Gilfresh Produce from Armagh, Simply Fruit from Craigavon, Milgro Onions from Limavady, Dale Farm, PRM and Ireland’s largest fruit and vegetable distributor, Keelings.

All producers gave shoppers the opportunity to sample their products and speak directly to them about the journey of their food from field to fork, while enjoying exclusive promotions on the products instore from 25^th to 28^th April.

JD Hunter & Co. continues to show support to their local community and beyond, with 75% of fresh foods supplied by Henderson Wholesale to independent SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers across Northern Ireland sourced from local suppliers. The showcase not only highlighted the offering available to shoppers in store, but also the range of local suppliers and quality produce available across the island of Ireland.

As part of the showcase, Lynsey Evans, Commercial Manager of Produce & Horticulture at Henderson Group, Chris McClure, Store Manager at JD Hunter & Co. and Susie Moran from Keelings all paid a visit to Markethill Primary School and St Teresa’s Primary School to give a presentation on the health benefits of fruit and vegetables, how food is harvested and information on local suppliers. Each pupil also received a supply of local produce to take home and extend the healthy eating message from the classroom to home.

JD Hunter & Co. have always been passionate about providing locally sourced produce to the community and the store was awarded Independent Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year at the Retail Industry Awards in 2022 for their expansive range and fresh offering for shoppers.

The store was acquired by South Belfast retailer and family-run business, Creightons, in 2022 and employs 145 people from the local community. The Creighton Group have three other stores across South Belfast, EUROSPAR Finaghy, EUROSPAR Balmoral and SPAR Blacks Rd.

Chris McClure, store manager at JD Hunter & Co. said: “We have amazing suppliers in Northern Ireland, and it’s always been important to us to support local. The in-store showcase was a great opportunity for our shoppers to speak to the suppliers directly and hear more about where their produce is coming from.

“Being part of the community, it’s important to have an impact on our shoppers but also on the younger children in our local schools, encouraging them to think about healthy eating and where their food is coming from. The support from our suppliers has been amazing and I want to thank them for such an engaging and informative showcase.”

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The store was one of 19 national award-winners on the night, taking home the gong for Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year thanks to their focus on customer services driving sales for the store.

Judges noted the store’s commitment to shopper loyalty, noting it was “driven by a strong grocery offering and in-store services options to keep shoppers coming back”, which resulted in a 19% year-on-year increase in weekly store sales.

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group which operates the store said the win puts Henderson Retail as one of the top convenience operators in the UK.

“SPAR Malone is a store which services several categories of shoppers, from residents to students, meaning we have the freshest products available for tonight’s tea alongside an outstanding offering of hot and cold food to go,” said Mark.

“The store represents what we are achieving in our outlets across Northern Ireland under the SPAR and EUROSPAR brands, bringing a competitive convenience offering complemented by services and facilities that improve the shopping experience, from the installation of self-checkouts to improving the range of fresh and convenient brands and products available in-store, alongside an upgraded Barista Bar coffee to go experience.

‘The store is clearly much more than a convenience store with the feeling of a community neighbourhood retailer’

“We are delighted to bring home the award, our colleagues in SPAR Malone are the driving factor of the store’s brilliant financial performance and without the fantastic team spirit, drive and determination seen in store daily, such success would not be possible.”

The finalists in the Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year included stores from Kent and Lancashire, plus EUROSPAR Ashbury in Bangor, Co. Down.

Aidan Fortune, Editor of Convenience Store added: “Congratulations to Henderson Retail and all the team at SPAR Malone. The store is clearly much more than a convenience store with the feeling of a community neighbourhood retailer, and SPAR Malone is a one stop shop for everything a customer may need.

“Our judges were impressed by the operator’s attention towards catering for a wide variety of needs, while also keeping shoppers at the forefront of change with their ‘tell us first’ initiative, allowing management to evolve quickly towards shopper needs, helping to create a more positive and welcoming shopper experience.”

Mr Fortune added: “This year’s Convenience Award winners demonstrated that the industry continues to raise the bar in delivering exceptional experiences for customers. Their success is not only a recognition of their hard work, but also a testament to their unwavering dedication to staying at the forefront of the industry.”

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Connolly’s SPAR currently employs 20 staff from the local community, and Henderson Retail, which will operate the new EUROSPAR Downpatrick set to open at the end of April, has announced that 17 of these staff will move to the new superstore, as well as an additional 50 new jobs being created.

Connolly’s SPAR will close on Thursday 18^th April.

Martin and Fiona took over the store in 1997, and over the years have made major investments including two significant refurbishments, the biggest in 2006, to bring top quality products and services to the community.

Alongside their store staff, the couple has always had the community at the centre of their store, often supporting local schools including Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, St Mary’s and De La Salle High School. The store team also fundraised for local charities and supported local community groups and organisations, such as Fountain Foodbank.

‘We want to extend a huge thanks to our shoppers for supporting us over the past 27 years’

“We want to thank all our staff, past and present, for their hard work and dedication over the years, and helping the store become such a big part of the local community,” said Fiona.

“We also want to extend a huge thanks to our shoppers for supporting us over the past 27 years. We have loved serving this community and it has been a pleasure to see friendly faces instore every day and get to know everyone so well. We will miss working in the Downpatrick community and wish all our staff the best of luck with their move to the brand-new store.”

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group, added: “Fiona and Martin Connolly are dedicated retailers and we wish to congratulate them on a successful 27 years of Connolly’s SPAR.

“They are much-loved by the local community and passionate about their shoppers, supporting charities and local schools in Downpatrick. They will be greatly missed by all in the local community.”

The instore Community Team will be dedicated to making a positive difference throughout the Downpatrick community and the store will continue to support various local charities and community groups.

The new store will also bring a huge supermarket offering including a hot food-to-go counter serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Devlin’s local butcher counter and a Texaco fuel site. Fresh Delish favourites will be available for shoppers with the Delish Bakery offering freshly baked goods every day, and the Delish production Kitchen where meals will be prepared in store, as well as everyday essentials and a focus on value for shoppers.

Fiona and Martin also own and run Connolly’s ViVO Essentials in Strangford, which they will be continuing to operate, alongside their son Aidan.

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Throughout 2023, 14 SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO retailers in Northern Ireland celebrated milestone partnership anniversaries with Henderson Group. The total came to over 500 years of retailing experience and commitment to serving their communities.

While some of our retail partners have been proud to display our brands above their doors for 50 years, many have been serving their local communities for even longer, through family businesses which have a passion for retail and locality. It’s incredible to look back at the evolution of their stores throughout the years, which are examples of how we as an industry must keep on moving – something more important in 2023 than ever.

2023 saw the completion of 109 retail projects across our company-owned and independent estate marking an investment of £49.7million. This included landmark store openings from the state-of-the-art EUROSPAR fresh foods superstore in Killyleagh, to extensions and renovations at some of Henderson’s busiest company-owned stores to update and introduce butchery and bakery, production kitchens and the popular Delish deli offering.

Henderson Wholesale continued to partner with independent retailers to build stores which deliver to the demands of that town and community, with Mulgrew’s EUROSPAR in Carryduff, SPAR Coopers Mill and SPAR Kesh standing out as significant new builds.

It means that throughout 2023, an incredible 59,940 sq. ft. of additional retail space was built by the Group and its partners to cater for Northern Ireland shoppers.

FUTUREPROOFING THE BUSINESS

Everything we do is with our retailers and shoppers in mind. We source 75% of our fresh produce from local farmers and suppliers, we invest heavily in deals and campaigns throughout the year, and we look to the future to ensure we are working sustainably so that we remain a robust business for our retail partners.

That futureproofing took a huge step forward in 2023 with the switching on of 1,494 solar panels which cover 75% of Henderson Wholesale’s fresh foods warehouse at the business’s headquarters in Mallusk. And at the end of the year, Henderson Retail announced a contract with bp pulse, which will see the installation of a new network of ultra-fast and rapid electric vehicle charging points throughout their 100+ SPAR and EUROSPAR sites.

Many of our independent partners are also leading the sustainability charge. Last year saw Maxol reveal the second of their Ultra Rapid EV Charging Hubs at their £2.4m Braid River SPAR in Ballymena, an impressive partnership investment that we strive for with our retailers.

When it comes to plans for 2024, the Group remains consistent with their intentions. We have always said we will channel profits back into the business and that is what we do year-on-year. We currently have significant investments planned for around 70 retail projects lined up for 2024 throughout our company owned, partnership and independent store network, including an exciting new build from the Knox family, a Nisa retailer who converted all three of their stores to SPAR in 2023.

Our business and our retail partners have stores in every neighbourhood in Northern Ireland, they are run by local people and employ local people. They get deliveries daily from local farmers, so money spent in those stores goes into that all-important circular economy here in NI.

TO READ MARTIN AGNEW’S INDUSTRY COMMENT IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

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Trading since 1936, Finaghy was Creightons first store and now stands as a south Belfast landmark, with the Creightons name now synonymous with community retailing.

When WG Creighton opened Finaghy Garage in autumn of 1936, there were just a couple of pumps, however it has since grown to become a 3000 sq ft EUROSPAR store featuring a Post Office, deli, car wash and fuel store. And while the company has remained focused on brand building, it has done so by following more traditional values – building trust, focusing on community, finding their own solutions and being prepared to take risks.

Owned by Niall Creighton and his sister, Gail Boyd the company now extends to four sites, with the acquisition of JD Hunter Markethill in August 2022, but it was at Finaghy where it all began.

Boasting over 200 staff across the whole business, Creightons of Finaghy has approximately 60 dedicated staff members, including Store Manager Alan Gilliland, who started with the company back in 2006.

“Originally from a Post Office background, I joined as the Post Office Manager. We transferred an existing Post Office from one mile away into a brand-new location within the store,” said Alan.

“All the most up-to-date technology and new services helped us win the best Post Office in the whole of the UK in 2008.

“Over the years my role developed, to becoming the Assistant Store Manager and then the Store Manager when Balmoral opened in 2016. No two days are ever the same, there is always a new challenge to keep us busy.

“Working with such a great team though makes all the hard work worthwhile and I can honestly say I enjoy coming to work every single day.”

COMMUNITY AT ITS CORE

As Alan tells NR, the family-run business has a very strong sense of community.

“We try to give our customers everything that they may need on a daily basis and we focus heavily on seasonal events, bringing theatre into the store with our flower offering and seasonal displays,” explained Alan.

“Additionally, we support many charities from Cancer Fund for Children and Northern Ireland Hospice to our latest focus, the Trussell Trust Food Bank. This has proven a huge success with our customers filling a large wooden trough full of essentials, which is collected weekly.”

This support from their customers is made all-the-more important for Creightons, as they are all too aware of the challenges facing consumers. While inflation may be slowing down, prices are still high with consumers continuing to make some difficult choices and remaining more considered in their grocery shop.

“Our biggest challenge at the moment is still the cost-of-living crisis. People are definitely shopping smarter and being careful with what they spend their money on.

“Although our footfall is up and our basket spend is similar to last year, our overall costs are also up. With the latest increase in the National Minimum Wage coming soon, it is more important than ever to keep our loyal customers coming back day after day by offering value for money and great customer service.”

AWARD-WINNING ETHOS

This determination and commitment to helping and supporting the community has remained steadfast over the years, and when it came to entering the 2023 Neighbourhood Retailer Awards, they had their sights set on the most important one for them.

“When we decided to enter into the awards, there was one category that we were determined to win. Creightons of Finaghy has been part of this community since 1936 and all our staff come from the local community.

“We support the local schools, sponsor the local football team and the Food Bank etc. The whole team buy into everything that we try and do, so we really wanted this one as a thank you to all the staff and to our loyal customers who support us every time we do something.”

Judges for the Community Store of the Year award were looking for stores who have engaged with and supported the local community, providing a wide range of services and products to meet the need of their customers.

At the NR Awards gala night on 20^th October last year, host Donna Traynor revealed the winner had given details of how their long-term commitment and successful fundraising had established them as an integral part of the local community. This was done through a range of initiatives, events and activities designed to support local charities, groups and individuals.

The judges added that Creightons had demonstrated how they have reacted quickly to current issues and made efforts to provide targeted support.

Following their win, Alan told NR he had felt absolute joy at hearing Finaghy being named Community Store of the Year.

“This was so important to all the team, as we had worked hard all year with various groups and organisations in our local community to try and help in some small way,” said Alan.

“This has really inspired us to carry on and make 2024 even more rewarding and we will continue to work closely with those groups that we formed a bond with last year.”

INVESTING AND IMPROVING

This community ethos was front and centre of Alan’s and the teams’ minds during the pandemic, with everyone working hard to ensure the shop was well stocked and their customers felt safe when shopping there during tight covid restrictions.

“Trading has been very strong both during and since covid,” said Alan.

“Like all retailers, covid was challenging but we did all we could to make the customers’ shopping experience as easy as possible and like many others, we introduced a free delivery service.

“This was greatly received and strengthened our standing within the local community. Since covid, sales have remained high with our customers still preferring to shop with us, keeping it local.”

This has been invigorating for the store, with previous and recent investments a key driver in maintaining footfall and rewarding customer loyalty with more variety and fresher produce.

“Over the last five years we have increased the size of our fresh and produce offering, and installed new fridges to drive sales of Creightons own brand and Henderson’s Tonight’s Tea range.

“We also introduced three self-checkouts, allowing us to take away two of our manned checkouts. This allowed us to increase and improve our confectionary range, which has grown sales by 30%.

“We also created more of a gifting area, allowing us to develop this range more. This was very successful over Christmas and will be a major benefit at Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter.

“The introduction of Shelf-Edge Labels, ASR and Relex has all helped to improve stock availability for customers and reduce staffing costs.”

Creightons has always embraced technology, using it to increase sales and efficiencies whilst also cutting costs, added Alan.

“Electronic Shelf-Edge Labels and self-checkouts are the best examples of this,” added Alan. “We are always looking at what is new out there and what other great retailers are doing for inspiration.”

TO VIEW THE FULL FEATURE ON CREIGHTONS OF FINAGHY IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

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