Having pledged a £60 million investment programme for 2023, Henderson Group was able to provide even more capital expenditure to its retail and wholesale infrastructure and technologies, their sustainable strategies and enhance their value promise.

Last year saw a total of 109 retail projects throughout the independent and company[1]owned estate of SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores, with Paddy Doody describing retention and recruitment as “excellent” with 12 new stores signing up to their brands in 2023.

The Group’s innovation, tech and sustainability achievements also took a step up in the last 12 months, as Mr Doody explains.

“We now have over 930 stores live with EDGEPoS (the point-of-sale software created by Henderson Technology) across the UK and Australia, more than one million electronic shelf-edge labels in use in over 200 sites and self-check-outs in nearly 200 stores,” explained Paddy.

“As part of our strategic Responsible Business pillar, we announced our partnership with bp pulse to install around 200 ultra-fast and rapid charging points at our Henderson Retail sites, with over 40 already installed by year-end 2023.

“We also switched on over 1,400 solar panels on our most newly built warehouse, and we continued to invest in value deals for our shoppers across the board.

“Our value promise was enhanced with a £7.8 million investment, with £3.5m of that invested into key areas such as milk, bread and eggs.”

In terms of performance, as of end of Q3 2023, Henderson Group’s turnover rose 9.4% on 2022 to £1.313bn.

‘Our value promise was enhanced with a £7.8 million investment, with £3.5 million of that invested into key areas such as milk, bread and eggs’

“Our Foodservice company continues to grow after a challenging few covid years, delivering a sales increase of 23.5% in the past year (up to end Q3 2023) thanks to their investment in tech and e-commerce repositioning.

“The business now processes almost half of its sales online, a strategy that has served both the company and its customers well.

“Our profits will once again be invested back into our business to create opportunities for our retailers, support our local fresh food suppliers and importantly, bring even more value to the shelves for our shoppers.”

HENDERSON RETAIL

Throughout 2023, Henderson Retail completed 35 company-owned store projects, and invested £30m into many of its flagship branded stores, allowing them to extend, update and renovate, including adding new services from new butchery and bakery counters to the new in-store production kitchen at EUROSPAR Victoria Road in Carrickfergus.

“We created 22,506 sq ft of additional retail space throughout the Henderson Retail network in the last year,” said Paddy Doody.

“With the accelerated change within the industry and shopper demands we prioritised updating our stores to include new food to go offerings with our Delish deli brand, extended to incorporate butchery counters, converted SPAR stores to EUROSPAR supermarkets, all to fit the needs of the communities within which they serve.”

Evolving to meet those needs is hugely important for the company, and Henderson Retail now operates 106 SPAR and EUROSPAR stores in Northern Ireland.

“We are a significant presence in many neighbourhoods and we need to provide quality services and products. The stores are quite literally the shop front of our business, they’re where our shoppers form their opinions on us and decide where their loyalties lie, so we need to be a community hub and I feel we are achieving that now more than ever.”

For their independent retailers, they saw 74 significant projects in 2023, including a new build EUROSPAR in Carryduff for the Mulgrews, as well as new build SPAR stores in Kesh, Rostrevor and Coopers Mill in Dundonald. Maxol also invested £2.4m to build a new 2,647 sq ft SPAR store at their Braid River site, which includes their second EV charging hub in NI, opening in December last year.

“Many of our independents are also bringing our popular Delish deli counter into their stores, plus extending their Barista Bar services, while taking advantage of our SPAR Bakery line,” added Paddy.

“Well-known retailers, the Knox family, rebranded all three of their Nisa stores in County Armagh and County Down to SPARs, and have another new SPAR opening in 2024. They’re all fantastic examples of building for the community around them. An additional 37,433 sq. ft. of retail space was created throughout the independent estate in 2023.”

Enhancing their value promise has been a key area of focus for the Group, and as Mr Doody mentioned, they invested £3.5m in key areas such as milk, bread and eggs.

CAMPAIGNS

Particular highlights included a successful second year of their Mega Deals campaign, and the biggest year of investment yet into the flagship deal campaign – 12 Deals of Christmas, which brings their retailers a huge sales opportunity in Q4 of the year.

“Throughout the year, EUROSPAR offers over a thousand products price matched to Tesco, while price drops on thousands of household essentials are available day-in, day-out.

“Another key target we met in 2023 was the previously mentioned switch on of 1,494 solar panels on our newest warehouse at our Group headquarters in Mallusk. They’re capable of generating 700,000 units of energy each year and is the equivalent of taking 309 cars off the road, an annual saving of 320,263kg in CO2 emissions.”

Having cemented their new partnership with bp pulse, and with over 40 chargers already installed, Paddy added some of their independent retailers have also switched on their own electric charging points at sites across the country.

“This will mean we are delivering one of Northern Ireland’s largest networks of EV charging points, a huge boost for the infrastructure here and those 18,000+ EV drivers we have in Northern Ireland.

“When it comes to independently owned stores, last year we invested £19.7m alongside our independent retailers to significantly increase the amount of retail space available at stores across Northern Ireland in 2023.

“In total, 109 significant retail projects – from new openings, conversions and extensions – were completed throughout our independent and company owned store network, representing a total investment of £49.7m.”

FUTURE-PROOF BUSINESS

Inevitably, the Group has faced the same challenges as other businesses, with the cost-of-living crisis and rising business costs continuing to put pressure on consumers and retailers alike. Amidst the ongoing Stormont stalemate, businesses are calling for politicians to return to work in order to provide some stability for the people of Northern Ireland.

“Like all industries and businesses here have stated, a functioning assembly is vital for people in Northern Ireland to make decisions for the people of Northern Ireland. Recent talks are indicating we are on the home stretch for the Executive to get back up and running, and we hope that is sooner rather than later,” said Paddy.

“When it comes to helping its retailers with the cost of doing business, Henderson Group is continuously innovating and trialling new concepts to bring improved cost efficiencies at store level, including self-check-outs, our EDGEPoS systems, electronic shelf edge labelling etc.

“We also co-invest with our retailers to help future-proof their businesses so that they can implement many of our innovations and reap rewards in the long-run.

“For the benefit of both our shoppers and our retailers, our level of investment in our value strategy will continue at the same level this year. We source locally as a priority which helps us drive down costs as well as keeping money in the local economy. Opening more EUROSPAR supermarkets in 2023 enabled us to bring even more supermarket offerings and prices to the doorsteps of our shoppers.

“We have stores in every community across Northern Ireland, and helping shoppers through the cost of living crisis is important, so we were also very proud to launch our partnership with FareShare in 2023, which saw SPAR donate £250,000, the equivalent of providing one million meals to its service users. Meanwhile, our Henderson Retail stores continued their foodbank donations throughout the year.

“At the tail end of 2023, we launched a Cosy Christmas giveaway, which saw 92 shoppers win £300 each at a time when they need it most. Our teams heard some stark yet heartwarming stories of who the money was going to and how much they needed it, and it reminds us that our stores really are hubs of the local community and while we cannot fix the root of this problem, we can certainly help to ease the strain for our shoppers and local communities.

“This is an ongoing problem which goes beyond our industry, however we will always strive to deliver on choice and value throughout our stores, support our local suppliers and our local foodbanks and community organisations.”

‘Henderson Group is continuously innovating and trialling new concepts to bring improved cost efficiencies at store level’

In the face of these challenges, the Group and many of their retailers have reaped rewards for their commitment and development, taking home awards and titles at some of the most prestigious awards ceremonies in the industry, something which Henderson Group is “really thrilled to see” added Paddy.

“Both our independent and company[1]owned stores swept the board at ceremonies such as the Retail Industry Awards and the Forecourt Trader Awards. Closer to home, our independents and company-owned stores were successful at the NR Awards, which as a local awards ceremony, makes it even fiercer competition!

“Awards aren’t just a mark of success but they’re a validation for hard work and a mark of respect from our peers in the industry. Our retailers are some of the most hardworking, forward thinking, innovative people in the industry, and why shouldn’t they be on the same par both nationally and internationally?

“On a brand level, it strengthens SPAR’s reach and reputation. It’s an opportunity for us to communicate just what having our brands above retailers’ doors can do for their business, and for the industry to see how we have diversified, how we’re engaging even more with our local communities, and how we’re strengthening our relationships with local producers and farmers. Awards schemes are essentially a showcase for great business and that is an important place to be for our retailers and our business.”

INVESTING IN BUSINESS

Looking ahead to what 2024 has instore for them, Paddy said the Henderson Group will continue to “invest, invest, invest”.

“We will invest in our retail partners, with whom we currently have nine major projects planned for 2024, representing an investment of £11m.

“33 of our independent retailers will also invest in their businesses, including that new build with the Knox family.

“From a company owned perspective, the investment will certainly continue with the team already working on 25 projects for this year.

“Our retailers can rely on our constant investment in our innovation, our technologies and our sustainability strategies.

“Part two of our solar powered warehouses project continues in 2024, with panels planned to be installed on Henderson’s Hyde Park warehouse, which will service Henderson Wholesale’s ambient range of products alongside the refrigerated Henderson Foodservice warehouse.”

When it comes to looking forward to the rest of 2024, Paddy says the industry is looking at decreasing inflation but still high costs relative to sales, energy and wages in particular. “We have an unpredictable political situation locally and in Ukraine and the Middle East, and there could be challenges around labour with low unemployment and high wage expectations which might impact staff recruitment and retention.”

With a workforce that has increased to over 5,000 staff, he added they have celebrated significant milestones with their independent retailers in 2023, with 15 retail partners celebrating milestone anniversaries totalling over 500 years serving their local communities.

Paddy finished: “We have a motivated work force and some of the best retailers in the world, many of those have been long-term partners of the Group, and we share our success with them and their achievements.

“They are pillars of their local communities, helping us bring value and provenance to shoppers, while supporting many charities and organisations. In 2023, alongside our staff and retailers, we raised over £700,000 for charity partners including Marie Curie, Cancer Fund for Children, Tearfund, FareShare and Action Mental Health.

“It is that spirit of partnership and motivation that will see their successes continue into 2024.”

TO READ PADDY DOODY’S INTERVIEW IN THE 2024 NEIGHBOURHOOD RETAILER YEARBOOK AND MARKETING GUIDE, CLICK HERE

The post Investment is key for Henderson Group first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

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

The post COMMENT: retail experience and community commitment from Henderson’s first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The 3,002 sq. ft. store, which is operated by local retailer Charioteer Limited, is the result of a £2.2 million investment bringing a much-needed full-service store to the Coopers Mill area.

Charioteer Limited also operates two other SPAR stores in Northern Ireland; SPAR Madigan’s Court on the Antrim Road and SPAR Ballydown in Banbridge, supporting a total of 90 employees across the three sites.

MUCH-NEEDED SERVICES

Upon opening, the store has made plans to immediately begin fundraising for the installation of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) outside the store, which, when installed, will make potentially life-saving equipment available 24/7 in the local area. It will become the sixth device of its kind to be installed in Dundonald.

The all-new store will bring much-needed services and top-quality products to the local community. Their offering includes an extensive range of fresh produce and a hot food counter serving breakfast and lunch for those on the go, as well as a full Barista Bar coffee offering with two machines instore, a frozen Coke machine, Morelli’s ice cream and an ATM alongside 60 car parking spaces for shoppers’ convenience.

The store also has a wide selection of products from local suppliers including Stanley’s family butcher, Cooper’s bakery, SPAR’s own brand The Kitchen range created with local food producers, and an expansive range from Newtownards based Patton’s bakery.

‘We’re really looking forward to becoming a hub for the community in Dundonald’

Sharon Smyth, store manager, said: “The opening of this store has been highly anticipated by the Coopers Mill residents. We’re proud to bring everyday essentials, options for Tonight’s Tea, local produce and convenient services to the residents’ doorsteps, as well as adding a sense of community to the area.”

The store will be central to the community with plans to give back to local charities and community groups, including SPAR NI’s charity partner, Marie Curie. The store’s teams will also take part in regular community litter picks to keep the area clean and tidy and has set up an in-store donation station for the local foodbank, Dundonald Food Bank.

Sharon added: “We’re really looking forward to becoming a hub for the community in Dundonald and bringing much-needed services to Coopers Mill. We have so much planned for the summer months for our new shoppers to celebrate our opening and we’re looking forward to many successful years serving this community.”

To celebrate the opening, the store is holding a number of voucher giveaways and exciting spot prizes for shoppers later in the year.

The post New SPAR opens in Dundonald following £2.2m investment first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The only company from Northern Ireland to win on the night, the business was commended by judges for smashing through its set of ambitious targets.

In 2022, Henderson Wholesale targeted a 4.2% rise in wholesale purchases, and delivered more than double – 8.6%. The company also smashed its goal to grow retail sales by 4.2%, rising by 6.2%.

‘FULLY-ROUNDED WHOLESALER’

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group said this was due to their focus on value for both the retailer and the shopper.

“We responded to rising inflation and the cost-of-living crisis early by delivering a robust value proposition, while continuing to provide sustainable logistics and top tier quality service.

“We employ thousands of staff throughout Henderson Wholesale, and we are proud to be a great place to work, ensuring our success is shared amongst our people who deliver our unrivalled services day-in, day-out.”

Judges said the category was “hard-fought” and commented the company was a “fully rounded wholesaler, doing a fantastic job”, adding that Henderson Wholesale’s “feats were all the more impressive considering the tough trading environment in post-Brexit Northern Ireland”.

The post Henderson Wholesale smashes targets to be named Wholesaler of the Year first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Henderson Retail has opened their newest Eurospar supermarket, standing at over 7000 sq ft and with a six-pump BP forecourt.

Managed by James Wilson, a total of 39 new jobs have been created and promises to brings value and commitment to the local community.

Henderson Wholesale is committed to sourcing first and foremost from local suppliers, and EUROSPAR Shankill Road has fresh bays bursting with local names, from Patton’s and Bertie’s Bakery to Irvine’s Chop Shop butchery counter, which is also complemented by three butchery bays.

Own brand ranges including The Kitchen, SPAR Enjoy Local, dailyDeli sandwiches, snacks and salads, plus The Greengrocer’s produce are all sourced and made with provenance in mind from local farmers and suppliers.

“At EUROSPAR Shankill Road, we bring value to our shoppers’ doorsteps by ensuring they have everything close by and at accessible prices with a variety of choice,” said James.

“We are really proud to open this store and bring 39 new jobs to the local area, while also meeting our neighbours – both shoppers and businesses, who we have been working with throughout our engagement with the local community.”

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

The team has been working in partnership with New Life City Church on various community projects, while children from Hobbyhorse Playgroup and Sure Start have done a fantastic job decorating the store’s Christmas Tree with decorations, they coloured in themselves.

The team also called in with their neighbours at Sure Start to introduce themselves, and provide a hamper for the children, while getting out and about engaging with other local businesses, charities and community groups to establish some long-term partnerships.

James continued: “We are dedicated to nurturing our neighbourhood, so we have worked with the Jobs and Benefits Office locally, plus Stepping Stones NI to recruit for our new positions in store, which has resulted in a fantastic team who are already learning some vital employment and life skills. They’re all from the local community so our shoppers know them when they come in store, and that’s so important for us as a local business.”

EUROSPAR Shankill Road is also proud to partner with Equipping for Life, who work in partnership with a number of primary schools in the Shankill area to provide various programmes from reading and mentoring, sports coaching, as well as Inspire Days with around 250 children each week.

‘We have provided a one-stop-shop for the local community’

Mark McCammond

The store has already raised £700 for their official EUROSPAR NI charity partner, Cancer Fund for Children thanks to James taking part in the London Marathon, and his colleagues, friends and family sponsoring him.

“Working with local charities is so important to us, so as well as our continued fundraising for Cancer Fund for Children, we are partners with The Haven Foodbank and Homeless Outreach with a designated collection point in-store for much needed items for their service users,” added James.

“We will also be providing a range of products to support their work with the homeless in Belfast.”

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group added: “With EUROSPAR Shankill Road, we have provided a one-stop-shop for the local community, bringing value alongside all the essentials, close to home. When designing this store, we have ensured shoppers have a great choice for tonight’s tea essentials, together with food-for-now from the Barista Bar coffee machines to the Delish hot food counter, serving breakfast and lunch, alongside options for dinner.

“To aide shoppers’ trolley shops, we have installed three trolley tills alongside two self-checkouts to bring even more efficiency to their shopping experience. EUROSPAR Shankill Road provides a premium offer for the local community, both in-store and on the forecourt.”

The post Creation of 39 new jobs as Henderson’s open Eurospar supermarket on Shankill Road first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.