The Convenience Awards 2021 winners revealed

SPAR Parkfoot in Kent has been named Convenience Retailer of the Year at The Convenience Awards 2021.

The store won the Independent Convenience Store of the Year category at the ceremony in London and went on to win the overall prize of Convenience Retailer of the Year. Judges praised the store’s tremendous range and how it benefits from constant reinvestment and scrutiny of range to ensure it has the best possible offer for its customers, all while being open 24/7 365 days a year. Its innovative use of technology and social media drives engagement across the local community, and the introduction of an in-store butchery set it apart from its competitors and has proven to be a real winner with customers, particularly in the run-up to Christmas.

The awards, held at The Londoner in Leicester Square on 14 September and hosted by Rebecca Adlington, recognise the very best people, retailers, businesses and initiatives from across the convenience retail industry. Owner of SPAR Parkfoot David Charman was overjoyed to win the award. “It’s been a difficult year for all of my staff and this is a fantastic reward for them.”

He explained how his team has helped customers during the pandemic. “We’ve really focused on what the customer wants and we’ve tried hard to give them that, and we’ve also tried to make sure that the site runs safely and carefully throughout everything that’s happened over the past year. We’re really proud of how we’ve looked after our staff over the past 18 months but it’s a great reward for all the effort.”

Louise Hoste, Managing Director of SPAR UK commented: “It was fantastic to be shortlisted for this highly competitive awards ceremony and tremendous to see SPAR Parkfoot named Convenience Retailer of the Year. We are also very pleased for Mulkerns EUROSPAR who won a hat trick of awards and SPAR Malone Road on winning the Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year category. Our stores have worked tremendously hard over the last year, so it is fantastic for them to be recognised for their innovation and forward thinking. In the fast-paced environment that we operate in, it is important to keep ahead of the game and this is why our stores are successful.”

Other winners on the night included Tout’s Langford which won Large Convenience Store of the Year; Ash’s Shop which won Small Convenience Store of the Year and SPAR Malone Road which won Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year.

The Shoppers’ Favourite Convenience Fascia for 2021 was picked up by The Co-Op. The award is calculated using Lumina Intelligence’s Convenience Tracking Programme, the UK’s largest convenience shopper study, with the winner receiving the highest shopper satisfaction scores across a range of KPIs, including price, value, availability, cleanliness, range, quality of produce and staff friendliness.

Editor of ConvenienceStore.co.uk Aidan Fortune explained why SPAR Parkfoot won the top prize in convenience retailing. “David and his team are constantly innovating and investing in the store, placing the customer at the very heart of every decision they make. Throughout the pandemic, they worked hard to ensure their shoppers had everything they needed, from maintaining a steady supply of grocery essentials to introducing new services like home delivery and a hot food brand.”

He stressed the level of competition for this year’s awards. “Our judging panel had an extremely tough job deciding on the finalists and winners. Even with everything that retailers have had to face over the past 18 months, they have displayed fantastic resilience and a willingness to take their businesses to the next level. The dedication shown to their communities is a testament to every retailer out there, and while only one store can win Convenience Retailer of the Year, all retailers throughout the UK should be proud of the work they’ve done and be applauded.”

Jill Livesey, Managing Director at Lumina Intelligence and Lorraine Hendle, Managing Director at The Grocer and Conveniencestore.co.uk said, “UK Convenience retail is thriving, with retailers cementing their positions at the heartbeat of local communities. Innovation has been key to growth, with convenience retailers leading the way within UK food and drink through tech enhancements, sustainability measures, partnerships and at-home occasions.”

“Last night, saw the entire convenience community come together at The Londoner Hotel to recognise and celebrate the achievements of individuals, initiatives and businesses that are pioneering of our brilliant industry. Huge congratulations must go to our winners; however, every single award was incredibly closely contested, showcasing the high standards set across the entire industry.”

Organised by ConvenienceStore.co.uk, The Grocer and Lumina Intelligence, The Convenience Awards 2021 was kindly sponsored by Bestway, Booker, Boost Drinks, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Nescafe, Nisa, Post Office, Premier Foods, Snappy Shopper, Spar and Suntory Beverage & Food GB & I.

The Shoppers’ Favourite Convenience Fascia for Chilled & Frozen – based on data from the Lumina Intelligence Convenience Tracking Programme, this award goes to the convenience store fascia that receives the highest shopper satisfaction ratings for quality of produce across all chilled and frozen categories.

Based on in-depth interviews conducted with convenience store shoppers, Spar is the convenience retailer that received the highest satisfaction ratings for quality of produce and purchase penetration across the fresh fruit, vegetable, meat & fish and all other chilled and frozen categories.

The Retailers’ Favourite Convenience Fascia for Category Support - This award is based on the feedback of over 250 convenience store retailers and goes to the convenience store fascia that receives the highest scores from retailers across a range of factors, including BDM support, range support and category advice.

Category support is key to ensuring high standards and driving awareness of the key trends and opportunities from across the channel. This award was very closely contested, but based on in-depth interviews conducted with convenience store retailers, Spar takes home its second award of the evening after receiving the highest satisfaction ratings from convenience retailers when it comes to category supp