Two Newry and Mourne retailers have beaten hundreds of stores across the north to be named finalists in the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards. SuperValu / The Good Food Shop on Hill Street and Eurospar Warrenpoint will battle it out with 60 leading retailers at an event in Belfast on October 21 for one of the 14 industry awards on offer including the coveted neighbourhood Retailer of the Year accolade. The two stores will go head to head in the category for NR store of the year. While SuperValu / The Good Food Shop will also be hoping for success in the Deli of the Year category. Supported by Bank Machine and hosted by TV’s Tina Campbell the awards are the north’s largest and longest standing awards for the independent retailing industry. The independent retailing sector employ more than 70,000 people and generates billions for the economy while the NR Awards help to raise industry standards by recognizing excellence and rewarding professionalism in what is an extremely competitive sector. Judged independently by Spotcheck the prestigious awards are a focal point of the retailing calendar attracting more than 600 entries from all independent retail operations throughout the north. Bill Penton of Neighbourhood Retailer magazine said: “It is fantastic to see the high calibre of finalists for the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards 2011 despite the tough trading conditions faced by businesses in Northern Ireland. The ethos behind the NR Awards is to encourage confidence within the industry and showcase the quality, depth and strength of independent retailing across Northern Ireland. It is a major achievement to be short-listed as a finalist at the Awards. We have had tremendous success wit the awards over the last 13 years and 2011looks to be our biggest event yet.” Commenting on the Awards Ron Delnevo managing director of Bank Machine said: “I am delighted that we are able to lend our support to these prestigious awards the most important of their kind in Northern Ireland. I am looking forward to working closely with the retail community throughout Northern Ireland to further strengthen our presence delivering to both retailers and customers the high service standards that are key to Bank Machine’s success.”
Newry Democrat
4th October 2011
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