The majestic new EUROSPAR Newcastle
Room with a view – in the Kingdom of Mourne
Where the Mountains of Mourne Sweep Down to the Sea
The breath-taking new EUROPSAR in Newcastle is not only unique for its stunning views over the Mourne Mountains, with the added good fortune to be located in an area of outstanding natural beauty – it’s a stunning work of art in itself – and a brilliant addition to the local economy and community.
NR talks to its manager Lisa McKee.
On Friday 17th September, the new look EUROSPAR in Newcastle was officially opened – with special guests and characters for the kids, face painting and the official ribbon cut by the local basketball team Shimna Stars – and one of its own star players, Sean Brannigan (who is also the longest serving member of staff at the store – a real place of honour on the day).
EUROSPAR’s charity partner, Cancer Fund for Children, also stood to benefit from the official opening – and given that Daisy Lodge – its residential place for families of children living with cancer is nearby – was a special addition to the day, linking with Henderson Group’s commitment to serving and supporting local communities.
Previously known as Carlisle’s Fresh Foods, and before that Fair Prices, Henderson Retail took over the store three years ago – and started work on a completely new build EUROSPAR, spanning across over 5,400 sq. ft. and designed specifically to cater for the shopper profile in the area.
Official opening
Manager Lisa McKee has worked with Hendersons for over 12 years.
“I was team leader initially, then assistant manager for four years. I’ve worked for seven shops in total as store manager – usually independent stores that have been taken over by Hendersons. It means I can train the staff in the Henderson’s way, including the 10 new employees we’ve been able to hire for the bigger store” explained Lisa.
“I started in Newcastle three years ago – over-seeing the new store development. It’s fantastic to get to this stage – with the official opening finally taking place.”
Although the official opening has just taken place, the store was open and operating in time for the July holidays
“We opened on 9th July – in time for the busy July holidays, as Newcastle is a popular holiday destination, especially for caravans and campers, particularly this year with the focus on ‘staycations.’
“It was a lot of hard work to get to that point, but we are absolutely delighted with the end result. It’s been a total re-build – a real asset for the local community, but some people were sad to see the old store being knocked down. There was a lot of history there too – with long term loyal customers and staff.”
Quality and standards
However, there’s no doubt that the entire community can only be delighted with the quality and standards of their new EUROSPAR.
The car parking area has been extended significantly to provide around 40 spaces, plus bike racks and all the usual forecourt services. The BP forecourt also has six petrol and diesel pumps.
Instore, the new concepts available include Cunningham Butchers. Previously the popular local butchers – based in Kilkeel – supplied pre-pack ranges but now, there’s a full in-store butchery.
Mullins ice cream is also a popular in-store concept that has thrived over the summer months – with Henderson’s dailyDeli serving hot and cold deli food alongside SPAR Bakery for take-home treats, and Shelbourne Bakery, another local hero business supplying the store on a daily basis.
Lisa worked closely with Henderson’s project manager Damien Nevin on all the design, instore concepts and implementation of the project – on schedule and to Henderson’s stringent precision and high standards.
The store benefits from a new look and feel for the EUROSPAR brand, allowing the key elements of the fresh and ambient propositions to be dialled up in-store. A data led approach has been taken which has created the optimum layout and range to allow the store to fulfil the needs of the local shopper, who is either shopping for now or for the next two to three days. An updated selection of material finishes, fixtures and customer communications all help to create an exciting and vibrant customer experience.
There are two self-scan check outs, plus new cashless till systems in store – only the third Henderson store in Northern Ireland to have this installed. It means that staff don’t have to handle any cash at all – perfect for these times of Covid-concern.
“It’s highly efficient and saves a lot of time,” said Lisa. “The self-checkouts are also proving popular – especially with the younger demographic – 32% of customers are currently using the self-serve. We also have staff encouraging people to give it a go, educating them on how to use self-serve if they haven’t used it before.
Teamwork
Lisa praises the entire staff team – she says they have been fantastic throughout the process.
“I know it sounds a bit corny, but we are like a big family. They are great staff – enthusiastic, helpful and they love coming to work. They really appreciate everything that’s been done. They’ve been flexible throughout – and now everyone is delighted with the shiny, perfect new store.
“The feedback from the community has also been fantastic” said Lisa. “It really is a great asset for the local community. The staff know the customers well, they come in for a chat – most of the staff, around 90%, live in the local area. We have several long serving staff too, who have worked there for over 16 years.
Local history
Located on the Castlewellan Road near the Burrendale Hotel, the store is keen to connect the new, modern store with the history of the area. In-store graphics feature Ben Crum, the nearby reservoir and other features of natural beauty in the area.
“There’s even a community screen in-store with photographs of the local community events. Information about local events are displayed on the screen. It also features local history, photos of old Newcastle – further linking the new with the old” said Lisa.
Fundraising
Fundraising for local community projects and of course, Cancer Fund for Children are important – with a ‘Totalizer’ in-store showing how much has been raised for local community projects, from the Ark Community Gardens to supporting Sean’s Shimna Basketball Team and neighbouring Bryansford GAC. The store’s community representative, Collette Valentine has also launched the drive to fundraise for a defibrillator that will be installed outside the store, available for the community 24/7.
It wasn’t always easy undertaking so much change in the middle of a pandemic, and there were challenges along the way – but as Lisa said, “The team all pulled together.
“We were doing deliveries throughout Covid – and are still doing deliveries for people who have no family nearby, are vulnerable or living in isolation.
“All-in-all, I’m delighted with the new EUROSPAR in Newcastle, and to have played a part in making it happen. Hendersons have been totally supportive in every way throughout the whole process.
“I think in our new EUROSPAR in Newcastle, we have something to be truly proud of.”
