Spar Parkfoot victorious at Convenience Awards

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Multiple award winner Spar Parkfoot, the BP-branded forecourt convenience site on the A20 in West Malling, Kent, owned by the inspirational David Charman, emerged as star of the night at the Convenience Awards - taking the top award

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David Charman (centre) with his award, alongside awards host Olympic gold medal swimmer Rebecca Adlington and ConvenienceStore.co.uk editor Aidan Fortune

Independent forecourt operation 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.

Owner - and multiple award winner - 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.”

David added that retail still drives him forward and encouraged similarly passionate retailers to treat it the same way. “You have to get out of bed in the morning and this is a business that makes you want to do that. I still get a great kick of doing that. You’ve got to focus in on the detail and that seven days a week, your store is at the level it needs to be.”

Other winners on the night included another forecourt operator Tout’s, whose Langford site won Large Convenience Store of the Year; plus Ash’s Shop which won Small Convenience Store of the Year and Spar Malone Road which won Multiple Managed Convenience Store of the Year. On the research awards side, The Shoppers’ Favourite Convenience Fascia category was won by Co-op.

The coveted Sales Colleague of the Year category was won by Natalie McKerracher of Scotmid Menstrie.

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.”

Brought to you 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. Thanks also go to activation sponsors Kind and William Grant.