After undergoing rigorous independent judging for this year’s Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer Awards, held on Wednesday, September 6 at the Clayton Hotel on Burlington Road, Dublin, there were wins locally in two categories.
Texaco Spar Fermoy won Newcomer of the Year, while Roche’s Londis in Doneraile won the new award Community Store of the Year.
Speaking after claiming the coveted prize on the night, owner of Roche’s Londis, Doneraile, John Roche, said, “This is a fantastic award, not just for us, but for the locality. Our store is a rural shop, so we work hard to support all the local teams, charities and events in the area.
“There is a huge amount of community spirit in our store, where customers come in for a chat. We’re the third generation to run this store, and the fourth generation is on its way, so we’re delighted to have won recognition for the store and the contribution it has made to local life.”
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
After claiming the prize for Texaco Spar Fermoy on the night as Newcomer of the Year, Sean Heaphy said, “This is a great award to have won. This is the one we were hoping for and it’s great to be recognised. These awards are so highly regarded and the competition was at an incredible standard, so it’s brilliant to have won on the night.”
DRIVING INNOVATION
Hosted by Irish broadcaster Miriam O’Callaghan, the awards – now in their 16th year – celebrated the finest forecourt retailers from across the island. The event also saw Topaz Dublin Port overcome world-class competition from throughout the island of Ireland to win the overall prize of Forecourt and Convenience Retailer of the Year.
Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer Awards is a pivotal event for the Irish forecourt industry, acting as a benchmark of excellence for the sector and a key driver of innovation and aspiration.
The local forecourt industry has a significant and growing share of Ireland’s €18 billion grocery and convenience market. While recognised as one of most advanced forecourt markets in world, the sector across Ireland also plays a significant role in local communities, providing support and assistance for many local clubs and charities. It is this variety of roles played by the sector that is recognised at these important awards.
The evening’s awards followed an afternoon of industry talks and exhibitions as part of Ireland’s Convenience Retailer Summit.
