News that Fermoy Medical Hall has been shortlisted to the Top 30 stores in Ireland in the Retail Excellence Ireland awards was greeted with delight by owners Orla Mellerick and Brian Whelan and staff this week.

Fermoy Medical Hall is one of the top six stores in their category. This is the 16th year of the industry awards which attract over 600 entries annually. The awards promote and recognise standards of excellence and innovation in retail.

As part of the top 30 selection process all store entrants were visited by a mystery shopper with a further visit from a qualified store assessor being made to the top 100 stores. The winning stores are selected by the Board of Retail Excellence Ireland based on the reports gathered, a review of video recording evidence, photographic evidence and a financial submission.

Retail Excellence Ireland's Chief Executive, David Fitzsimons, commended all the retailers who entered this year. In particular he congratulated those who made it through to the top 30, saying the very high standard of service, customer engagement, display and levels of innovation in the retail industry made selecting this year's top 30 very difficult.

"The REI awards are about recognising and rewarding retail excellence and the standards displayed this year are superb," he commented. Those high standards are particularly important given the severe challenges currently facing Ireland's retail industry, he said. "It is clear from the quality of this year's entrants that the retail industry is playing its part in reviving our domestic economy."

"We are thrilled to be in the Top 30 stores for the second time since we opened eight years ago," Fermoy Medical Hall's co-owner Brian Whelan told The Avondhu. "For people who don't know, our store, it is a 4,500sq.ft. independent, late night pharmacy on McCurtain Street. We stock top brands such as Clarins, Shiseido and Chanel in an inspiring setting. We have a luxurious four-room beauty salon and nail bar in store. We are the only pharmacy open until 8pm in the North Cork area. We not only offer our customers healthcare advice and professionalism but we also offer our customers prestigious brands with latest trends and we strive to be a destination shop where customers can find something different to suit their needs. We have passionate and committed staff who are always here to help," he explained. And, he said, they'd love to win the award after being a runner up in 2007.

The overall winners will be announced at a special awards dinner in Galway on November 2.

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