Mullan's Spar named top store at Convenience Retail Awards

Mullan’s Spar in Armagh, Northern Ireland has taken home the top prize at the 2017 Convenience Retail Awards, run by Convenience Store and The Grocer.

The store saw off stiff competition from rivals across the UK to clinch the Convenience Retailer of the Year 2017 title at the glittering awards ceremony in London last night (Thursday 16 March).

Owners Stephen and Donna Mullan impressed the judges with exceptional standards and points of difference, which includes their own brand of soups, stews and ready meals.

“To win this award means everything to us,” said Donna Mullan.

“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 means the world to us and it 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.”

Convenience Store editor David Rees said: “Donna and Stephen run a tremendously impressive operation focused on high quality fresh food and food to go, combined with great service and community engagement. Their knowledge of, and commitment to, their local customers and their requirements is a key factor in their success, along with a relentless drive to constantly improve their offer.”

Other major winners on the night included The Forge Shop Simply Fresh, Inkberrow, which was named Best Small Store; Spar Eat 17, Hackney, which won Best Large Store; and One Stop Woodhouse, Leeds, which won Best Multiple or Franchise Store.

In the special awards category, Spar Eat 17, Hackney, won both the Innovation award and the Best Communication to Shoppers award.

Manchester-based Spar retailer Paul Stone was named Retailer’s Retailer of the Year.