Located at the busy junction of Dromore Road and James Street, the new-look Lidl Northern Ireland store will create 15 new retail positions and has supported a further 200 jobs during the construction and development phase. Plans to modernize and extend the store were granted approval last October by Fermanagh & Omagh District Council following an extensive community consultation.

Occupying a site of 8,029 sq. metres – including an expansive sales floor of 1,420 sq. metres – the new store will be more than twice the size of the existing James Street site, and will incorporate a 95-space car park with two electric vehicle charging points, complementary landscaping and a large warehouse.

Omagh local, country music artist and Lidl Northern Ireland team member Barry Kirwan, and Ballinderry-born singer Cliona Hagan, who made it to the final of RTE reality talent competition The All Ireland Talent Show, will officially cut the ribbon to unveil the new look Lidl Northern Ireland store and participate in a meet-and-greet with shoppers from 8am – 9am.

Speaking ahead of the new Lidl Northern Ireland store launch in Omagh, Barry said: “The opening of the new Omagh store is particularly poignant for me as Lidl Northern Ireland has been a great support for my family during the last few years, when the music and entertainment scene took a hit as a result of the pandemic and my gigs dried up.

“I took on a day job with Lidl Northern Ireland in the current Omagh store and thoroughly enjoyed the work, so am looking forward to getting back to officially open the new and improved site on James Street, and, alongside Cliona Hagan, to meet with customers on the morning.

“The store truly is a great addition to the local area, with a fantastic range of high-quality products at great value, and a real focus on supporting local, Northern Irish suppliers. There are always great opening day deals to be had as well, so I’m looking forward to getting in myself for the weekly shop on Thursday 13 October.”

Built to the retailer’s pioneering and award-winning ‘concept’ design, which prioritises sustainability, spacious, wide aisles, long tills, restrooms, employee and baby-changing facilities, customers can look forward to a modern shopping experience with an expanded product range.

The new store opening is part of Lidl Northern Ireland’s long-term plan to grow its store network to 50 by 2030 – including three new stores in Derry-Londonderry and Strabane as part of a wider £26m investment into the Northwest region – and bring its ‘Big on Quality, Lidl on Price’ proposition to more shoppers across the region.

Sales Operations Director for Lidl Northern Ireland, Gordon Cruikshanks said: “As Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing supermarket, we’re thrilled to continue moving forward confidently with our long-established plans to rejuvenate and breathe new life into our site at Omagh, where we first opened a Lidl Northern Ireland store in 2003.

“We’re delighted to confirm the new James Street opening date for Thursday 13 October, and to have Barry Kirwan and Cliona Hagan officially open the doors to our new-look store. I look forward to welcoming the 15 new members to our team and to bringing fresh, high-quality products and market-leading value to local shoppers.”

The new Lidl Northern Ireland store on James Street will open on Thursday 13^th October 2022 at 8am.

The post Country music stars Barry Kirwan and Cliona Hagan to launch new Lidl store first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

It was vital for retailers and suppliers to meet up face to face at Food Force Ireland’s Trade Day following a two year break, according to chairman Jonathan Crawford.

For the past two years, the key industry event has had to migrate online and the event at the Culloden Hotel and Spa on September 12 was the first time it has taken place in person since 2019.

“Last Tuesday was really important in terms of getting a chance to finally meet with our local suppliers again face to face after two years of not. These are the key account managers and shareholders within suppliers that wwe get to meet face to face once a year,” FFI chairman Jonathan Crawford said.

“So we were looking forward to getting back to that – we had a range of deals that Trading Controller Debra Johnston set up for the day and we went around placing orders for those deals with each of the suppliers, trying to pick up value that we could pass through to our own consumers.

“We’ve had two years there of not getting a day out of the business to lift our heads to see what else is available and there are lots of suppliers who had new ranges and exciting new products to show us. 

“That wee gap of a couple of years maybe gave us a wee bit more hunger to go and see that so that’s all a good thing.”

Fourth generation

Jonathan himself is a fourth-generation independent retailer, taking over Crawford’s of Maghera from his parents.

“We have been involved in Food Force Ireland since its inception really in the late ‘80s and I took over the treasurer role in 1999,” he says.

“My family supermarket has always been independent and Food Force Ireland was started as a group of independents which together formed a limited company called Food Force Ireland Ltd in the 1980s.

“Alastair Smyth from Limavady was one of the driving forces in it, along with Henry Emerson from Armagh, and they created the buying group to help negotiate with Northern Irish suppliers for independent retailers. So we were all owner managed and then pooled a central resource together that Alastair would have run.

“Then Alastair retired in 2000 and we employed a Trading Controller in Belfast to look after the role that he did and there was a board of directors around that.”

Growing movement

Since the year 2000, the group has gone from strength to strength, growing in terms of membership and revenue, Jonathan says.

“We tried to pool together on central deals with mainly Northern Ireland based suppliers – your household brands, the likes of Tayto, Ormo, Mother’s Pride and Punjana tea bags have all been central to what we do, what people buy in their shops in the province.

“The people in Food Force Ireland have evolved but the general memorandums and articles, and the core principles of Food Force are the same – it’s a group of independent retailers who pull together in order to share benefit among themselves. Nothing is kept by Food Force itself and any benefits that come through are passed through to the membership on an equal basis so that core belief has stayed there. It’s like everything, some of the people have come and gone but the principles are still there.”

Back in person

Over the last five or six years before Covid, the event has been held in the Culloden Hotel in Co Down.

“It’s great to get back to doing that again and actually having a place we can go to, rather than trying to do these things online,” Jonathan says.

“The other thing we do with this show that is quite unique – this is a free day we give to all members and all suppliers and that encourages them to bring their best deals with them.

“We’re not charging suppliers that turn up – there’s no tax through Food Force, if you like, so this is a day where they can bring their best deals and they will be passed through to the membership and that makes us unique as well.”

Supply chain

The unique approach of Food Force Ireland really paid dividends for members when the arrival of the pandemic disrupted supply chains, Jonathan says.

“A lot of us would have been buying from UK-wide wholesalers and when Covid came, they came under so much demand that their supply network just crumpled and didn’t work.  We were placing orders for 5,000 cases and getting 200 delivered – it was horrendous,” he says.

“But that local supply base that is operated in Northern Ireland with the likes of Punjana tea bags and the PRMs of this world and Tayto and everything… we couldn’t get Walkers crisps in from England but Tayto were on our doorstep every week, with whatever we wanted.

“So it was great to have those direct links – they were direct to store, they weren’t going through a warehouse somewhere. It was direct from the supplier to our back door in each of our shops and that really made a difference during the dark days of Covid.

Direct links

“The suppliers would come very early in the morning and leave off deliveries to our back door. We trusted them that they would leave off what was right, they trusted us that we wouldn’t have shortages.

“Our supply chains did work during that time which was great – we had toilet rolls when nobody else had. And that was really due to the way that we make our supply chain. If anything it’s a bit old fashioned and that worked during times of crisis.”

Many retailers have been experiencing a period of labour shortages but the pressure appears to be lifting somewhat, Jonathan says.

“That was tough – they couldn’t get drivers, they were having difficulties getting products picked in warehouses and that sort of thing.

“And of course we’ve got roaring inflation – the price thing is something that has always been an issue but the supply seems to have now seems to be sorted. We’re now getting the products we want from all of our supply base now. The cold chain, like meat suppliers, were having difficulty in their factories but I’m hearing less issues of that in the last few months.

“And maybe if we are entering recession and there are layoffs in other industries, the food industry tends to be bolstered at that time, because I can’t get a job in a hotel, but I can get a job in a meat factory or a processing plant. So labour shortages in our industry hopefully are easing.”

Energy costs

However energy costs have become a huge problem for everyone, he says.

“You just have to go into your local convenience store or your big supermarket and have a look at the fridges that they operate. Those fridges are operating 24/7 and they can’t be turned off, they can’t be turned down, they can’t be turned up. They’re a constant cost,” he says.

“We were paying 11p-12p a unit for electricity 12 -14 months ago and now we’re looking at 30p-35p going into the winter. It’s a threefold increase or more and there’s going to be more come January. That’s a set cost for all these stores and there’s really very little they can do about it.

“And of course people with oil heating or any form of heating in their stores are going to face a really bleak winter – I think we all know that.”

While many retailers have been turning to alternative options such as solar or to making efficiencies with measures such as installing fridges with doors, that can mean a sizable capital investment, Jonathan says.

“The ones who can afford to make those changes will do it, the ones who  can’t, I don’t know. It’s going to be tough,” he says.

“It’s not an optimistic time for any energy-heavy business, which we are. We’re energy heavy and we’re labour heavy. There isn’t a member of staff that doesn’t need an increase in their wages to cover inflation and we tend not to have too many members of staff that we don’t need.

“So again we’re facing increased operating costs and we’ve got a new Prime Minister who will have a lot of problems ahead of her and we’re all hoping there’s some sort of relief system to be announced.”

To read the full 25-page Special Feature on Food Force Ireland’s Trade Day, click HERE.

The post Retailers facing unprecedented pressures: Food Force Ireland Jonathan Crawford first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

The countdown is on until the doors open at the NAEC Stoneleigh on 27^th and 28^th September with a packed agenda planned for all in attendance.

After two years of virtual events, the face-to-face show will provide the perfect opportunity for Nisa’s customers and suppliers to engage, share ideas, connect with new and existing contacts and much more.

Under the banner ‘Engage, Inspire, Trade’ the two-day event will see more than 200 suppliers converge in the exhibition hall with an exciting and busy schedule comprising category talks, panel discussions, sampling and networking with suppliers, retailers and the Nisa and Co-op teams.

Also making a welcome return is the much-anticipated black tie gala dinner with a fabulous theme along with a selection of new awards to celebrate the very best independent Nisa retailers.

Following a refresh for 2022, there will be 14 titles announced including brand new accolades for the Forecourt Retailer of the Year and Store Development of the Year for both Nisa fascia and independent or dual branded outlets.

And for the first time in the history of the Nisa Expo, any profits from the sale of gala dinner ticket sales will be donated to Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity.

All suppliers buying tickets will be entered into a draw and 15 winners will receive a £1,000 donation to be shared in the local community of the nearest independent Nisa store via a ‘Stronger Together’ MADL donation.

Jenny Potts, events manager at Nisa said: “Every year we strive to deliver a great event for all our customers and suppliers, and we know the gala dinner presents a brilliant opportunity for everyone to relax, enjoy the entertainment, the company and catch up with friends and associates.

“This year will be particularly special because of the two-year absence, and we’ll be pulling out all the stops to make it a night to remember.

“Tying the gala dinner into the community through the donation to MADL is also a real highlight, enabling us to bring together Nisa suppliers, retailers and charitable causes to do good for local communities.”

Registration for the show is open now via the dedicated website: www.nisaevents.co.uk

The post Nisa Expo returns to NAEC Stoneleigh first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

Hosted in partnership with Bank of Ireland, the flagship event is an opportunity to connect with potential new customers, pitch products and services and win new business. With more than 25 major buyers in attendance, it presents unprecedented access to procurement specialists through a bespoke matching service which is designed to ensure that mutually beneficial meetings take place.

Explaining further, Tanya Anderson, Head of International and Business Support at NI Chamber said: “Meet the Buyer is all about helping our members to ‘do business’ with potential new customers.

“We have secured a host of major buyers including CAF Rail, Coca-Cola HBC, Eakin Healthcare, Wright Bus and many others, who are all interested in meeting suppliers in the local market, bringing supply chains closer to home and availing of the quality products and services with NI firms have to offer. More than half of them are new to Meet the Buyer, so there are lots of fresh opportunities, including for those suppliers who have attended previously.

“The event is also an excellent networking opportunity, which will enable attendees to network with others, including people from outside of their own industries. We’re inviting suppliers to register their interest in attending now and encourage them to do so before the deadline of Friday 26 August.”

Niall Devlin, Head of Business Banking NI at Bank of Ireland UK added: “At Bank of Ireland we understand the importance of winning business, particularly in the current inflationary environment and with supply chain issues at the forefront of many businesses’ list of challenges.

“As businesses look at options to develop strength, resilience and agility to protect against future shocks, new buying or supplying opportunities are key. These include dual sourcing of raw materials, increasing stocks of critical products and regionalising supply chains, all of which present many opportunities to win business. That’s why this ‘Meet the Buyer’ event is an important opportunity for local SMEs. It provides unique access to buyers from well-known major business brands with significant buying power, and we’d encourage all local businesses to get involved.”

Buyers who will be attending to source new suppliers include Belfast City Council, Boomer Industries, CAF Rail, Camlin Group, Choice Housing, Coca-Cola HBC, Connex Offsite, Eakin Healthcare, Education Authority, Equans, Fibrus, Kane Group, McAleer & Rushe, McColgan’s Food, MJM Marine, Moy Park, NI Water, Nicholl Oils, NIE Networks, Nitronica, QUB, Translink, Ulster University, Unicorn Group, Wright Bus and Yelo.

The deadline to register your interest in attending a supplier is Friday 26 August 2022. To do so, contact phil.murray@northernirelandchamber.com. For more information on the event, visit the NI Chamber website.

Meet the Buyer with Bank of Ireland is delivered as part of NI Chamber’s Learn Grow Excel business support programme, which is also supported by SME Partner, Power NI.

Caption: Tanya Anderson (NI Chamber); Kevin O’Hara (CAF Rail); Niall Devlin (Bank of Ireland); Chris Wylie (CAF Rail) and Phil Murray (NI Chamber).

The post Suppliers invited to ‘get onboard’ for NI Chamber Meet the Buyer first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

We’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve been asked when the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards are coming back – so it’s with great delight that we can announce that this prestigious retail event will take place on October 28 22!

Clear your diary for October 28 2022, because that’s when all the big names in Northern Ireland’s independent retail sector will be gathering at a star-studded ceremony at the Crowne Plaza Belfast to celebrate all that is ground-breaking and innovative on the shopfloor.

Now in their 22nd year, the NR Awards are Northern Ireland’s most prestigious awards for the retail industry and a major focal point for all retailers, brands owners, service provider and top executives.

With 20 unique categories, the NR Awards will draw entries from more 600 top-notch retailers from across Northern Ireland, all vying to be the best at what they do.

Since we launched the NR Awards back in 1998, they have grown into an absolute must-attend on the annual calendar, and the perfect place to meet and greet, network and celebrate with your colleagues right across the industry.

The clock is ticking if you want to get your entry in for the awards. You will be allowed to enter up to three categories, and you MUST get your entry in for the June 30 deadline.

21 Awards Categories up for grabs…

• Retailer of the Year
• CTN of the Year 
• Neighbourhood Store of the Year (Category 1 – up to 1,950 sq ft)
• Neighbourhood Store of the Year (Category 2 – 1,951 to 3,950 sq ft)
• Neighbourhood Store of the Year (Category 3 – 3,951 to 7,000 sq ft)
• Neighbourhood Store of the Year (Category 4 – 7,001 sq ft plus)
• Fresh Food Store of the Year
• Digital Marketing Campaign of the Year
• Pharmacy of the Year
• Butcher of the Year
• Newcomer of the Year
• Off-Licence of the Year
• Community Store of the Year
• Forecourt of the Year (Category 1 – with c-store up to 1,950 sq ft)
• Forecourt of the Year (Category 2 – with c-store 1,951 sq ft plus)
• Store Manager of the Year
• Best Customer Service
• Bakery of the Year
• Deli of the Year
• Lifetime Achievement Award
• New Product Launch of the Year

ENTER HERE

The post Save The Date for the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards this autumn first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.