Spar NI retailers speak of joy at winning at Convenience Store’s awards

At our annual awards last month, Spar Abbots Cross, Newtownabbey - run by sisters Becky and Lucy McCammond (Lucy pictured above) - won Refit of the Year, while Pauline Flanagan from Spar Malone Road was chosen as Sales Colleague of the Year.

The annual awards, which took place in Manchester, saw top-tier convenience store operators and suppliers gather to forge new connections, recognise excellence and celebrate together. The two NI winners faced competition from stores throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and proved triumphant on the night.

Becky and Lucy invested £620,000 into Spar Abbots Cross in Newtownabbey, reopening the store with an additional four members of the team, in May 2024. “We purchased the store earlier in 2024, and set to work to expand our offering so that we could double the range of fresh and locally sourced products and produce available for our shoppers,” said Lucy.

Becky added: “We also upgraded the food to go offering and brought in a fresh butchery range from Mayfield Village Butchers. We also introduced more essential services, including Collect+, The National Lottery and Evri at the Post Office, which has extended its opening hours.”

Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group, said of Spar Abbots Cross’s win; “This is a fantastic win for Lucy and Becky, less than a year after opening their new look store. They have provided an accessible store which offers everything their neighbours could need, from fresh products for tonight’s tea, to something to grab and go throughout the day. Picking up such a prestigious award against tough competition from stores across the UK is admirable and we all send our congratulations to the team.”

Elsewhere, described by her colleagues as “everyone’s friend and a brilliant team player”, Pauline has won Henderson’s Store Colleague of the Year award every year since joining the store, as voted for by Henderson Retail staff.

Samuel McCann, Spar Malone Road’s Store Manager (centre) received the award on Pauline’s behalf. Pictured left with Guru-Murthy and Alex Evans from The Grocer (right).

Part of Pauline’s exceptional work ethic had led her to take on the role of Community Champion at the store, which means she has been involved in establishing partnerships with several local charities and organisations, while implementing events and initiatives to fundraise for them in-store.

Mark McCammond, Retail Director at Henderson Group, says Pauline makes a huge contribution to the store as well as team morale: “Good customer service is what our shoppers will always remember after visiting one of our stores, and Pauline is a true ambassador for proving excellence in customer service, setting a standard for all of our stores and going the extra mile.”