Entries are now open for the 2018 Convenience Retail Awards, the premium awards programme recognising excellence in the UK convenience store sector.

Stores taking part will be considered for awards covering independent, multiple and franchise categories, with large, small and new stores also being recognised. In addition, an array of special awards will recognise excellence in some of the key disciplines of modern convenience retailing such as fresh food, customer service, innovation and food to go, along with the prestigious Retailer’s Retailer of the Year award.

The best of the industry will be invited to our festival-themed awards evening on Thursday 15 March 2018.

Earlier this year, Northern Irish retailers Stephen and Donna Mullan stole the show by winning the top prize for their Mullan’s Spar store in Armagh, lifting the Convenience Retailer of the Year 2017 title, in addition to the Best Independent Store award.

Donna said: “To win this award means everything to us. We’ve worked so hard for this and we would like to dedicate this to our staff who have been so devoted to us. This makes all the hard work worth it.

“I think we won because we have been so devoted to our community and our staff and our shoppers, and we put our life into our store.”

Entry is via the official awards website at: www.cr-awards.co.uk, and if you have any questions about your entry, call 01293 610439 or email catherine.lyne@wrbm.com.

The closing date for entries is Monday November 13, 2017, so get your entry in now to give yourself the opportunity to be recognised along with the elite of the industry.

CRA 2018 is organised by Convenience Store and The Grocer, and sponsored by Aunt Bessie’s, Bestway, Carlsberg, Muller, Peas Please, Pladis, Pernod Ricard, Republic Technologies, ACS and HIM Research & Consulting.