Premier-branded MJ’s Store in Royton, Greater Manchester, was named Convenience Retailer of the Year at Thursday’s 2019 Convenience Retail Awards.
Store owner Justin Whittaker collected the accolade at the Royal Lancaster Hotel on Thursday evening, along with the award for Best Small Store. The recently-refitted 1,400sq ft community store was praised for its high standards and investment in innovation, including a dessert bar offering, dedicated food to go zone, chilled beer room and local delivery service.
Accompanied by his family - wife Melanie, son Leon and daughter Savannah - Justin said: “It is our first time at the Convenience Retail Awards so to come away with so many awards is really something. As a team and family we have worked really hard this past year so it is nice that we can celebrate all our work.
“I’m amazed that we won the main award and it came as a total shock to all of us. We’ve tried lots of new things to get customers into the store and have introduced things like crepes and waffles to our dessert menu.
“It really means the world that we have been recognised and we are constantly looking at ways to improve and make sure that we can be the best convenience store in the future. I think in the convenience industry you have to look at what everyone else is doing and learn from that to take your business to the next level.”
The Convenience Retail Awards is organised by sister titles Convenience Store and The Grocer. Convenience Store editor David Rees said: “Justin and his family have taken some bold steps to future-proof their store in line with changing customer needs, without losing the local connection that has served them so well for the past 30 years of trading.”
Other winners on the night include Paul Stone’s Spar Princess Street in Manchester, which was named Best Independent Store, Eurospar in Donegall Road, Belfast, which was named Best Large Store, and Simply Fresh at Surrey University, which picked up three awards including Best Multiple Store, Best Customer Service and the Innovation Award.
The awards were sponsored by Aqua Carpatica, the ACS, Bestway & Best-one, Booker, Camelot, Carlsberg, the Co-op, F’Real, Juul Labs, HIM, Lucozade Ribena Suntory, the National Convenience Show, Pladis, Shopt, and Spar.
THE CRA WINNERS
Convenience Retailer of the Year
MJ’s Premier
Best Small Store
MJ’s Premier, Royton
Best Independent Store
Spar Princess Street, Manchester
Best Multiple / Franchise Store
Simply Fresh, Surrey University
Best Large Store
Eurospar Donegall Road, Belfast
Retailers’ Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Pladis
Mo Razzaq (Family Shopper, Blantyre)
Best Customer Service, sponsored by Bestway
Simply Fresh Surrey University
Best Communication to Shoppers, sponsored by Booker
Spar Loughbrickland, Northern Ireland
Community Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Camelot
Family Shopper, Blantyre
Food to Go Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Spar UK
(large store)
Spar Donegall Road, Belfast
Food to Go Retailer of the Year, sponsored by Spar UK
(small store)
Scotmid Bankton
Innovation Award, sponsored by F’Real
Simply Fresh, Surrey University
Excellence in Impulse Award, sponsored by Lucozade Ribena Suntory
Londis Lechlade, Gloucestershire
Best Use of Technology, sponsored by Shopt - CPM UK
Family Shopper, Blantyre
Off Licence Store of the Year
Premier Kenninghall, Norfolk
Best Chilled Food Retailer
McBride’s Spar, Mullaghmore
Energy Efficiency Award
Scotmid Bankton
Product of the Year, sponsored by Best-one
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