Malcolm's Store named Convenience Retailer of the Year

Malcolm’s Store (Costcutter) in Coventry was named Convenience Retailer of the Year last night at the industry awards event of the year.

Organised by Convenience Store and The Grocer, the 2013 Convenience Retail Awards celebrated the best stores and retailers in the business, and was attended by over 300 key players in the industry.

In a great night for Costcutter, the top prize, Convenience Retailer of the Year 2013, went to Costcutter Malcolm’s Store in Coventry. Owners Paul and Pinda Cheema, who also scooped the Best Independent Store award, were overjoyed to win the most coveted prize in the industry.

“Winning this award feels great, it’s fantastic to get recognition for our achievements, and to be able to share best practice with other retailers,” Paul said.

“Our staff have played a key role in our success and they will be rewarded for this win. This is a huge achievement and they can all be very proud, we’ll definitely be having a party for them.”

Other winners on the night included Knight’s Budgens in Hassocks in West Sussex, which won the Best Large Store award for the second year in a row. Owner David Knight attributed the success to engagement with his customers. “We have consistently high standards for the store and we’ve been driving back into the community harder than ever over the past year,” he said. “It’s a great testament to our business and the team at the store who have put in a lot of hard work.”

The Best Small Store award was won by Costcutter Wath in Rotherham, South Yorkshire and the Best Multiple Store award was picked up by ScotMid Warrender in Edinburgh.

Specialist category winners on the night included Shokar Food Store in Keighley, Bradford, which won the National Lottery Retailer of the Year award, and Costcutter Layton, Blackpool, which picked up the Zero Tolerance award for Crime Prevention.

Najib Khan of the Sunstar Group was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his pioneering work in the convenience retail industry.

A store tour of Malcolm’s Store and the Cheema’s retail philosophy will be the centrepiece of a video at the Convenience Performance Seminar in London on May 16, and delegates booking places before the end of March will receive a discount. Click here for more details.