The Convenience Awards 2024 were held at the Victorian Warehouse in Manchester this month to celebrate the biggest names in the industry. Judges picked out winners who are leading the way in community, delivery, environment and more
Independent Convenience Store of the Year
Spar Oxford Road, Greater Manchester
Located in the heart of Manchester, Spar Oxford Road is busy 24/7. The judges were blown away by the 24-hour effort that goes into the success of this store, headed up by Paul Stone. The site underwent a major refit in early 2023 to improve its refrigeration, lighting and aircon, and introduce more shelf space. These changes helped contribute to an 18% uplift in sales while reducing electricity consumption by 28%. The store has huge focus on ‘feed me now’ and ‘big night in’ missions, as well as beers, wines and spirits. Judges were impressed by the high standards throughout – helping to keep competition from the nearby Tesco and Sainsbury’s at bay.
Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year
Spar Malone Road, Co Antrim
Billed as a convenience store with the feel of a community retailer, Spar Malone Road is a true one-stop shop. Its customer base takes in businesses, local residents, a university, schools and churches, making it essential to cater to a variety of needs. This year, the store saw a 19% year-on-year increase in weekly sales while basket spend rose 7% – a sign of increased customer loyalty, driven by a strong grocery offering and in-store service options. The store’s ‘Tell Us First’ feedback initiative keeps customers at the forefront of change and allows management to change quickly to suit shopper needs, helping create a more positive and welcoming experience.
Convenience Retailer of the Year
Costcutter Nuneaton Triple A Foodhall, Warwickshire
With a store unlike any other in the country, Shaan Chaudry of Triple A Foodhall in Nuneaton has been named Convenience Retailer of the Year. Designed as a hub for the community, his premises have quickly become a destination for people in nearby towns looking for something different in grocery or food to go. Taking inspiration from sites in Canada and Ireland, the store’s standout features include a homemade ice cream kiosk, an extensive food-to-go section, a hefty range of beers, wines and spirits and a bakery counter that rivals the mults. Customer service is on point too, with a greeter on hand to help new shoppers or flag new products. Meanwhile, major investment in branding helps give Triple A Foodhall a unique look compared with the competition.
Small Convenience Store of the Year
Scotmid Ballantrae, South Ayrshire
A pivotal part of the local community, Scotmid Ballantrae focuses on providing food-to-go options throughout the day. The 1,400 sq ft store’s location in South Ayrshire means it must cater for both local shoppers and commuters. And it’s gone the extra mile. A recent refit has led to a push on sustainability and efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, while investment in technology such as electronic shelf-edge labelling has given the store a modern twist. The store team works with the close-knit community to support local causes and build relationships with regular customers, while training and upskilling of staff is a major focus for management.
Large Convenience Store of the Year
Costcutter Nuneaton Triple A Foodhall, Warwickshire
Taking retail inspiration from around the globe, the team at Triple A Foodhall wowed our judges. The 4,000 sq ft store has similarly impressed the wider industry and its shopper base. It’s fast become a destination in the surrounding area, putting Nuneaton on the map. That’s thanks to a top quality food-to-go offering including homemade ice cream, gyros, kebabs and stone-baked pizzas. The store also has a huge presence in the community, having purchased a disused local church for use by community groups. Plus, it plans to organise family days in the car park over the summer.
Community Initiative of the Year
Cost of Living Discount, One Stop Packmoor, Staffordshire
Operated by Dee Sedani, the Cost of Living Discount promotion at One Stop Packmoor offered 10% off to customers who spent more than £10 on selected days. What began as a one-month initiative proved so popular that the store kept it running, helping shoppers save a massive £13,670 in the first four months. The judges were impressed with Sedani’s support during the cost of living crisis and his commitment to putting community before profit. As well as this initiative, Sedani and his team support local sports clubs and community groups, and helped pupils at a nearby school with learning equipment.
Retailers’ Retailer of the Year
Anand Cheema, Costcutter Fresh in Falkirk, Stirlingshire
Our judging panel of independent retailers chose Anand Cheema for this award, due to his determination and dedication in every aspect of his business. Particular praise went to his forward-thinking, with one judge commenting that the sector would be in great hands with retailers like Cheema. With a background in finance, everything he does in store has the aim of making it as efficient and profitable as possible. The panel was impressed by his ability to see an opportunity and “go for it”, as shown in recent initiatives such as a premium spirits section, beer keg offer and American confectionery.
Customer Delivery Store of the Year
Welcome Faversham, Kent
Over the past 18 months, operator Sandeep Bains and his team have been building up this store’s delivery offer with a massive focus on shopper communication. Working with social media platforms and delivery apps, Bains reached his community directly. Today, the delivery arm of his business contributes 25% of weekly turnover. Bains worked with Snappy Shopper to integrate his delivery service into his EPoS system, resulting in a smoother operation for staff and customers, and allowing the latter to keep up to date with promotions. He also works to improve customer loyalty with gifts for new customers and regular discounts for his 6,000 social media followers.
New Store/Refit of the Year
Tout’s Cleeve, North Somerset
Designed and delivered by Jon and Zena Tout, Tout’s Cleeve puts a unique twist on a traditional forecourt store to cater to the local community. With an eye-catching design that creates a unique shopper journey, the store focuses on hero categories such as fresh produce, meat, bread & cakes, food to go and alcohol, alongside a solid branded grocery offering that showcases local suppliers. It has also benefited from a significant investment in technology, with media screens marketing to customers and electronic shelf-edge labelling reducing time spent changing labels. That’s on top of the Tout’s loyalty card, which runs across the family’s three stores.
Responsible Retailer of the Year
Costcutter Epsom, Surrey
Costcutter Epsom owner Sue Nithyanandan has established rigorous processes on age-related sales and works with local authorities to ensure their maintenance. These processes apply to all age-related categories including alcohol, tobacco, vaping, lottery, and sharp objects, earning the store a strong reputation in the community. Nithyanandan has even refused to stock certain products if she felt she couldn’t sell them responsibly. She also invests in additional private security for busy evenings to ensure staff safety. The store is signed up to the Women’s Night Safety Charter for London, and staff have had Bystander Intervention Training to help tackle harassment.
Food to Go Store of the Year
Costcutter University of Warwick, Warwickshire
Run by Fabio Finocchiaro, this university store has a food-to-go range that covers everything from sushi to sandwiches. The quality range, which spans all meal occasions, has beaten off stiff competition from the university’s 16 other foodservice outlets. Under Finocchiaro’s leadership, food to go has grown to make up a massive 40% of the store’s overall turnover. Judges were impressed by the offer, which provides meal-specific promotions and discount deals to keep student customers well fed but not out of pocket. The store recently benefited from an investment in new ovens and hot cabinets to improve its bakery offer even further.
Convenience Rising Star of the Year
Nakendram ‘Theepan’ Piratheepan, Londis Cinderford, Gloucestershire
Since bursting on to the scene in 2020, Nakendram Piratheepan has built a portfolio of 18 sites across Wales and the south west of England. He began by working at the first of his sites in Glamorgan to properly understand the business and community. From there, he has grown his store empire, but that’s not all. Piratheepan is currently taking a master’s in international business at the University of Gloucestershire. As well as managing the stores, he has committed to giving 10% of the business’s profits to charity, working with his staff to determine which causes should benefit.
Community Retailer of the Year
Costcutter Swanage, Dorset
The judging panel was impressed by the Costcutter Swanage team’s work to support their community on several fronts. The Poppy Appeal, Daffodil Cancer Appeal, Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, and the RNLI are just some of the charities supported by the store, which also works with local suppliers to enhance its range and highlight nearby producers. The store is described as a proper community hub that includes a post office, home-made ready meals, a butcher, and an on-site bakery. Having been in the same family since 1908, the business is currently owned by Chris Tomes, a local councillor and chairman of the Tourism Committee.
Sustainability Retailer of the Year
Central Co-op Dodworth Community Store, South Yorkshire
Described as the most sustainable site in the Central Co-op estate, this store has green initiatives across wastage, energy use, ranging, and community outreach. The store has solar photovoltaic cells, which convert thermal energy into electricity, while KwiQly software has allowed the team to monitor and reduce gas and electric consumption. It also works with FareShare to redistribute surplus food and offers customers a refill station for cereals, pasta, and coffee. The store’s team also works with nearby schools to help educate pupils about sustainability and involves them in local green projects.
Retailers’ Favourite Symbol Group
Londis
The Retailers’ Favourite Symbol Group Award draws on insight from retailers affiliated with nine symbol groups. It gathers satisfaction scores across various criteria, including business comprehension, promotional vigour, margin strength, ordering convenience, and the breadth and availability of products. With an impressive outlet expansion of nearly 3% in the past year, Londis’s concerted efforts in refining and revamping its formats have been described as admirable. In an industry where competition for outlet recruitment remains intense, securing the vote of fellow retailers is fantastic recognition and makes Londis a worthy winner of this category.
Shoppers’ Favourite Multiple Convenience Group
M&S Simply Food
This coveted award is decided using the Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme, which provides the all-important shopper perspective. The UK’s premier industry survey, which engages with over 50,000 convenience shoppers annually, results in a meticulous set of data on the operators in the convenience industry. With 316 sites across the UK, M&S Simply Food – renowned for its high-quality offering as well as its work on sustainability – took the gong. Shoppers were impressed by the range on offer in Simply Food stores and the availability of quality produce, all of which tipped the balance in M&S’s favour.
Shoppers’ Favourite Symbol Group
Premier
This is the third and final category to use the Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme to determine the winner. The tracker provides data on metrics ranging from availability and product choice to value for money and promotions. Premier set itself apart from the competition here, thanks to its progressive work on chilled and food to go availability. The symbol group’s recent expansion and willingness to innovate in stores also helped its retailers offer shoppers something different, while stocking the essential lines. All these elements helped Premier come out on top in this highly competitive category.
Shoppers’ Favourite Convenience Store Group
Premier
This category feels a little bit special, given the focus on shopper feedback – gathered using the Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme. This programme engages with over 50,000 convenience shoppers to collect data across a spectrum of satisfaction metrics. This year, Premier took the coveted title of winner. Jill Livesey, managing director at Lumina Intelligence, said: “With over 4,000 stores, Premier has the largest number of outlets in the UK and continues to expand. We’ve seen shoppers benefit from a larger offering of chilled and food to go solutions, with the soft drinks cave being a particular traffic driver.”
Sales Colleague of the Year
Kruti Thaker, Family Shopper Broadoak, Greater Manchester
Kruti Thaker scooped our sales colleague of the year award thanks to her ability to think independently, take the initiative, and go above and beyond her core role. Judges praised her work with local suppliers and her development of a comprehensive training process, which has helped other staff members follow in her footsteps. Thaker’s efforts with local charities, including organising fundraisers, have also raised the store’s profile within the community. Her appetite for learning, demonstrated by continuously seeking opportunities for professional development, similarly won praise from the judging panel.
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