Cadbury has announced the winners of its Great Retail Ideas Exchange competition, created to celebrate the brand’s 200th anniversary and show thanks to retailers who have helped support the brand throughout its long history.
At the beginning of 2024, taking inspiration from Cadbury’s history, the brand asked retailers to share their best business ideas – anything that helped engage shoppers, drive footfall and sales or helped local communities – to be in with a chance of winning cash prizes.
Cadbury received an incredible 700 ideas from across the independent convenience sector, and is delighted to reveal that Ron and Aruna Patel (pictured above), of Ron’s News in Droitwich Spa, won the top prize of £5,000 with their idea of learning customers’ names to greet them more personally.
Speaking about the inspiration, Ron Patel said: “This simple idea creates a bond, which becomes a friendship, which in turn brings loyalty and respect. This then passes down through families and generations, and so a bond is created with multiple levels of your customer base, and they in turn reciprocate in kindness.”
Recent research from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) shows that only 7% of shoppers feel like they know their local shopkeepers very well (first-name basis, frequent conversations), which shows the opportunity for retailers to take this personal approach.
Beyond the top prize, ten additional retailers won £1,000 for their great retailing ideas, and a further 20 won a prize of £500.
One of these £1,000 prize winners - Jules Kaur from Jules’ Convenience in Telford – explained what the prize meant to her: “Our store is the hub of the community, so we enjoy investing back in the people – our Christmas fair is our biggest event and has been a big hit since last year, and this prize will help us run this and support the local community.”
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