SPAR Merrion Row Wins National Award

Store owner Thomas Ennis receives C-store award for second year running

SPAR on Merrion Row was announced a Gold Award Winner at the national ShelfLife C-Store Awards 2011 held recently. The Dublin store was one of 3 award winners covering store size classification from amongst hundreds of local convenience store entrants across Ireland.

Store owner, Thomas Ennis, scooped the Gold Award for stores in the 2,000 to 4,000 sq ft category building on the category awards won in previous years. This year, the judges were impressed with the store’s overall level of product presentation, price promotion and personal service.

Congratulating the store was Willie O’Byrne, Managing Director BWG Foods (operators of SPAR in Ireland): “We would like to extend our congratulations to Thomas Ennis and the team at SPAR Merrion Row on winning this national award: it is confirmation of the pride they take in their store and how well they understand their customers. The store is very deserving of this industry accolade and they should take pride in displaying it alongside their other awards.”

The ShelfLife C-Store Awards, now running for 10 years, were set up to recognise retailers and retail outlets that set the highest standards in the retail industry.

In presenting the award, ShelfLife editor Fionnuala Carolan said: “Two years of stealth planning and creative local marketing shows exactly what can be done to satisfy customers and keep them coming back. When the Celtic Tiger left Ireland the rule book for c-stores had to be re-written, it’s no longer just good enough to be convenient, in 2011 value is the name of the game.”

Dublin City SPAR Store Wins National Q Mark Award

2 November, 2011 – Derek Clarke’s SPAR in Castleforbes, Dublin city, was announced the overall national winner of the Level 1 Foundation Q Mark for Hygiene & Food Safety award at a ceremony in Dublin recently.

The National Q Mark Awards, developed by independent body Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA), are one of the most prestigious business accolades in Ireland. They seek to recognise companies and organisations who have demonstrated outstanding quality and excellent practices and processes within their industry sector.

According to Managing Director of BWG Foods, Willie O’Byrne, operators of the SPAR brand in Ireland, “To be announced as the national winner for this Award is a great credit to the store staff and owner Derek Clarke in particular, who continues to be a leading light for the brand when it comes to driving store standards. Ireland remains at the forefront of independent food retailing, with SPAR retailers widely recognised as performing to the highest international standards, and Derek is certainly helping us retain this reputation.”

Store Owner, Derek Clarke said, “We are delighted to receive this Award; our team of staff has been working very hard to keep raising the standards across all aspects of the store, from service to offer and of course health and safety. We believe it is essential to demonstrate to customers that we take store standards seriously and winning this EIQA award is evidence of that.”

SPAR Castleforbes has been awarded for its quality of fresh food in the Best in Fresh awards three years running and was also a finalist in the Edward Dillon off-licence awards in both 2009 and 2010. The store has played host to retailers from around the country in a ‘Look & Learn’ programme, which seeks to showcase stand-out stores, and this year SPAR Castleforbes also received the prestigious 5 Star Award for excellence in retailing.

SPAR Castleforbes has been part of the local community for over four years now, and employs 12 people locally. The store provides the community with a range of services such as ATM, Hot and Cold Deli, Bill Pay, Top Up, and Fresh Fruit & Veg. The store is open Monday to Friday from 6am to 10pm, Saturday 7am – 10pm and Sunday 8am -10pm.

SPAR Millenium Walkway Scoops National Fresh Food Award

SPAR Millenium Walkway in Dublin’s city centre has been honoured at a prestigious industry award event, taking home the prize for Excellence in Fresh Food retailing in a Convenience Store at this year’s Checkout Best in Fresh Awards sponsored by Glanbia Consumer Foods. Held recently at The Four Seasons Hotel, Dublin, the Awards are organised by industry magazine, Checkout, and seek to recognise and reward those retailers that set the highest standards when it comes to fresh food offerings.

Open to multiples, symbols, independent stores, forecourts, delis and specialist outlets, SPAR Millenium Walkway beat off competition from hundreds of retail stores around the country to take home one of the top awards.

Speaking after the announcement, retailer John O’Neill of Millenium Walkway, said: “It is a great honour to have received this award, as it reflects the time and effort invested in creating a fresh food offering for our customers which is best in class. As such, we are delighted to have been recognised amongst the best of our industry peers.”

MD of BWG Foods – operators of the SPAR brand in Ireland – Willie O’Byrne said: “It is always a delight and an honour when one of our stores receives a national award in recognition of the high standards we aspire to across the network. There is some very healthy competition in Irish retailing so to be named top of the bunch is a great coup for the store, its staff, its customers and our brand.”

There are 450 SPAR stores operating throughout the Republic of Ireland, providing employment for over 14,000 people locally and supporting many local Irish suppliers around the country. SPAR Ireland, part of the BWG Group, incorporates the three SPAR formats of EUROSPAR for family and supermarket shopping, SPAR for convenience and neighbourhood shopping, and SPAR Express for forecourt shopping.

BWG makes it to Final Round of National Retail Awards

– Company is shortlisted in Industry Leader category

BWG has been honoured at the Retail Excellence Ireland Awards 2010 held recently, making it to the final round of the country’s largest and only dedicated retail industry awards. BWG was one of only four companies shortlisted in the ‘Company of the Year - Industry Leader’ category from around the country.

Presented by the Minister for Labour Affairs, Dara Calleary, T.D., and hosted by TV and radio personality, Miriam O’Callaghan, the gala event was held at the Radisson Blu Galway and attended by more than 500 representatives of the retail industry in Ireland.

Chief Executive of Retail Excellence Ireland, David Fitzsimons, said: “This year we received more than 400 entries from every corner of Ireland so I want to congratulate BWG on their achievement. It is a big honour to receive this accolade and we hope that these companies will display their awards with pride,” he said.

Chairman of Retail Excellence Ireland, Kevin Jephson said: “When individual retail stores across Ireland submit an entry to these Awards they are signing up to a thorough and extensive competition process – one which collectively contributes to maintaining and raising the standards of Irish retailing to the benefit of businesses and consumers alike. It requires a big effort on the part of owners, managers and employees so I want to extend my thanks to all those who participated,” he said.

O’Briens Wine, Beer & Spirits was named National Retail Store of the Year at the annual Awards event which seek to recognise and reward those retailers deemed to deliver the highest standards in Ireland.

Established 13 years ago by industry group, Retail Excellence Ireland, this Award scheme is the only one of its kind in the country, rewarding excellence across the entire breadth and depth of the retail industry and not just one particular sector.  For more information on the award process or to see a full listing of award winners and Ireland’s Top 50 stores, log on to: www.retailexcellence.ie

SPAR Ireland is part of the BWG Group and incorporates SPAR for convenience and neighbourhood shopping, SPAR Express for forecourt shopping and EUROSPAR for supermarket shopping.

SPAR Own Brand range wins Checkout Award

The SPAR Own Brand range has won Best Value/Standard Private Label range at the Checkout National FMCG Awards.

The Checkout National FMCG Awards, held in association with the Irish Daily Mail, recognise excellence in FMCG marketing, advertising, product development and promotional execution. Run by Checkout magazine, the awards aim to honour the very best initiatives by Ireland’s retailers and suppliers. The Checkout National FMCG Awards are judged by a panel of Ireland’s top retailers and FMCG marketers.

Speaking about SPAR’s own-brand range, the judging panel noted the significant investment in expanding the SPAR own-brand range in the last 12 months, particularly into food and drink categories. Judges also praised the SPAR own-brand advertising campaign for its quirky and off-beat execution, which helped communicate the depth and value proposition which SPAR own-brand had added to SPAR stores.

John Ruddy, editor of Checkout said, "SPAR’s investment in its own-brand range has clearly paid off, helping SPAR retailers to deliver a strong value message to Irish shoppers. This has been achieved not only through the quality and depth of the range, but also the brand communication, with the SPAR own-brand TV campaign proving hugely popular with both retailers and consumers alike."

Edward Dillon Off-Licence & Wine Store of the Year Awards 2010

On Thursday October 14^th the third Edward Dillon Off-Licence of the Year Awards 2010 took place in The Stillorgan Park Hotel in Dublin. The event was a great success, with 30 finalists short-listed from around the country in attendance. There were three main awards up for grabs on the night including the SPAR / SPAR Express Off Licence of the Year and the SPAR / SPAR Express Wine Store of the Year.

Ger and Denise Canning accepted the prize of winner of the SPAR / SPAR Express Off Licence of the Year 2010 on behalf of SPAR Express on Pearse St, Co. Sligo, with the runners up in this category coming from Dublin and Leitrim - Derek Clarke, SPAR, Castleforbes Street, Dublin 1 and Noel McGowan, SPAR, Kinlough, Leitrim. The SPAR Wine Store of the Year 2010 was, for the second year in a row, awarded to Mary Glennon, SPAR, Tonlegee Road, Coolock, Dublin 5 with Marie and Brendan Mullen from SPAR, Bundoran Road, Sligo receiving the runner up award on the night. Each finalist was delighted to accept a prize of an overnight trip to Sitges, near Barcelona, where they will have the opportunity to visit the coveted Casa Bacardi Academie. During the trip, the Bacardi Academie will offer visitors the chance to experience an educational session based on the creation process of Bacardi’s superior rum, which is consumed throughout the world, as well as live guided tours by the Bacardi brand ambassadors.

The winners will also enjoy a trip to Cape Town, South Africa where they will have the opportunity to visit the Nederburg Winery and vineyards, meet the winemakers and taste the latest vintages while enjoying the sights and sounds of Cape Town. For the first year the runners-up will receive prizes for their outstanding achievements, the prize for 3^rd place goes to SPAR Kinlough, receiving a case of champagne. The prize for 2^nd place goes to SPAR Castleforbes St, Dublin 1 and SPAR Bundoran Rd, Sligo, they will win a trip to a European city.

Speaking of the association, Andy O’Hara, Commercial Director of Edward Dillon said, ‘We were delighted to be associated with the 3^rd SPAR / SPAR Express Off-Licence of the Year Awards again this year. Over the past three years, the quality of entries has risen to a very high standard and we would like to take this opportunity to thank each of the stores who took part and congratulate the winners for their great achievement.’

Great success at the Blas na hÉireann awards

We are delighted to announce that two of our SPAR Own Brand products won silver and gold at the 3^rd annual Blas na hÉireann awards. SPAR Signature Selection Vintage Cheddar, produced by Newmarket Co-op, Co. Cork, won silver and the SPAR Seafood Chowder, produced by McEvoy Foods, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, won gold amid stiff competition in both of their categories.

This competion is the biggest blind tasting of its kind in the world, awarding winners in over 30 food categories. 1,000 of the best Irish products were blind tasted by 60 judges over two sessions in Cork and Kerry. Over 90 producers from all over Ireland took home Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals.

Artie Clifford, chairman of the Blas na hÉireann Awards said that the standard of the competition was extremely high this year, particularly as entries were up by 25 per cent on last year, with many new, young, inspirational producers entering for the first time. Artie is quoted as saying that "These Irish awards provide an opportunity for Irish producers to compete with each other and prove that they can compete with the best in the world. We are now asking shoppers to talk with their feet and support home grown produce."

SPAR Vintage Cheddar Cheese is available to order from The Traditional Cheese Company and the SPAR Seafood Chowder will launch in the upcoming weeks through Sunshine Juice. Congratulations to both producers on their fantastic achievement.

Also special thanks goes to Patrick Sheehy, SPAR Dingle who embraced the event and had sampling activity in his store on the day of the awards. He sampled both the SPAR Signature selection vintage cheddar and the SPAR Seafood Chowder to drive awareness of the high quality of SPAR Own Brand and SPAR’s support of home grown industry.