SLR Awards 2021: The Winners

THE WINNERS A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

HERE’S TO YOU YOU!

CONTENTS

SLR’s second Virtual Festival of Excellence celebrated the very best of Scotland’s local retailers in what was another challenging year for the community retailing sector.

05 Confectionery

It’s been another unusual and year for Scotland’s local retailers and another one for the SLR Awards.

In 2020, when we held our first Virtual Festival of Excellence, we didn’t imagine we’d still be hosting our awards ceremony online this year.

But, thanks to coronavirus, that’s exactly what we did.

Virtual or face-to-face, one thing that remains constant every year is the high standard of entries to the awards and 2021 proved no different. Our winners can be proud knowing that they represent the very best of the community retailing industry.

So, a huge thank-you to them, all our entrants and indeed, every local retailer in Scotland, for their fantastic efforts over the past 12 months.

And what of the Awards? It was a fantastic night for Glasgow retailer Shamly Sud, who was named Scottish Local Retailer of the Year. Shamly won three awards last year but went two better in 2021. As well as the top prize, Shamly also collected the Forecourt Retailer of the Year; #ThinkSmart Innovation of the Year; Vaping & Nicotine Replacement Retailer of the Year; and New Store of the Year awards.

Falkirk retailer Anand Cheema was named the SLR Young Retailer of the Year after opening his first store in 2020. His Spar store was fully rebuilt from the ground up and has gone on to deliver outstanding performance and is a credit to Anand and his team at Spar Falkirk. The store also received the Refit of the Year Award.

Other big winners on the night included Harris Aslam’s Nisa Greens of Ellon store, which won the OffTrade Retailer of the Year and Scottish Brands Retailer of the Year awards.

Ayrshire retailer Chris McCallum also claimed two awards for his Spar Coylton store– Fresh & Chilled Retailer of the Year and Sustainability Retailer of the Year – as did Saleem Sadiq. Saleem was named Soft Drinks Retailer The Year while his Spar Renfrew store also bagged the Team of the Year award.

For the first time, the SLR Awards 2021 recognised the efforts of symbol groups. Dundee-based wholesaler and retailer Spar Scotland was named Symbol Group of the Year after another remarkable 12 months for a business that has been transformed under a new management team in the last few years.

Daniel Johnson MSP was recognised for succeeding in bringing a new law into force in Scotland that offers local retailers far greater protection from the abuse and violence that they face daily. Johnson received the Special Recognition Award and spoke at the event, hailing local retailers as “genuine key workers who play a fundamental role at the heart of every community in Scotland” and “deserve more protection under the law, particularly after their efforts and achievements during the pandemic.”

Also honoured was Angela Lindsay, a store worker from Blackadder Mini Market in Greenlaw, whose prompt actions and bravery helped save the life of a customer who suffered a stroke when in the store. Angela received the Unsung Hero of the Year.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “The last 18 months have been the most challenging that the local retailing sector in Scotland has ever faced but, as they always do, Scotland’s local retailers more than rose to the challenge. The sector has been nothing less than heroic.”

07 Food-to-go 09 Fresh & Chilled 13 Newstrade 15 Off-trade 17 Scottish Brands 19 Soft Drinks 21 Vaping & Nicotine Replacement 23 Community 27 Forecourt 29 Home Delivery 31 New Store 33 Refit 35 Sustainability 37 #ThinkSmart 39 Team of the Year 41 Symbol Group – Community Initiative 41 Symbol Group – Community Initiative 42 Symbol Group – Innovation 43 Symbol Group of the Year 45 Unsung Hero 47 Special Recognition 49 Young Scottish Local Retailer of the Year 51 Scottish Local Retailer of the Year

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

CONFECTIONERY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

DAY TODAY STENHOUSEMUIR Having started out in life as a traditional ‘sweetie shop’, Day Today Stenhousemuir has continued to prioritise the confectionery category with a unique range of products.

While Stenhousemuir local retailers Asiyah and Jawad Javed have established themselves firmly as community-minded retailers, it’s a little-known fact that their Day Today store actually started out in life as a traditional ‘sweetie shop’. The store may have evolved beyond recognition but the couple still retain a firm focus on the confectionery category and offer a unique range of products that appeals to young and old and caters for all tastes.

category continues to be a key plank to the overall offer, bringing shoppers from far and wide.

As well as stocking the key core lines across chocolate and candy, the store features a wider range of rare and unusual lines sourced from across the globe to add excitement and interest to a high volume category.

“By sourcing confectionery lines from a variety of suppliers, they are able to offer a truly inspiring and unique range, without losing site of the vital role played by the major brands and products that drive the biggest sales in convenience. You’ll never leave Day Today Stenhousemuir empty handed if you fancy a sweet treat!”

It’s probably fair to say that visitors to the store will find confectionery lines they’ve never seen before and the

SLR Publisher Antony Begley said: “We all know that confectionery is a huge and vital category in local retailing in Scotland, one that drives huge footfall, sales and profits. Asiyah and Jawad have always understood this but have worked continuously to keep the category fresh and exciting in-store.

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

FOOD-TO-GO RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PREMIER BIRNAM STORES When coronavirus caused a downturn in the food-to-go market, the Johal family redoubled their efforts and created a next-generation takeaway food and drink offer.

With food-to-go one of the biggest trends in retail before lockdown, the Johal family who run Premier Birnam Stores didn’t let Covid-19 stand in the way of realising their ambitions to create a next-generation food-togo offer that provides customers with everything they could possibly want in takeaway food and drink.

The food-to-go section of the store has been fully modernised and expanded and offers an enormous range of options, perfect for busy shoppers to grab and go at any time of the day.

SLR Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons commented: “Food-to-go was a megatrend before lockdown with most local stores growing their offer to cater for increasing demand. The restrictions of lockdown meant that food-to-go sales suffered badly and while that put many retailers off maintaining or launching a food-to-go offer, it didn’t put the Johal family off. They simply redoubled their efforts – and the consequences of their hard work are there for all to see.

The judges noted that “Premier Birnam has exactly the type of offer that today’s shoppers are looking for: great quality, great value pricing and a menu that offers something for shoppers in every key day part, be that breakfast, lunch or even evening meal. No one leaves hungry.”

“The store offers a fantastic range, great pricing and tasty food all day long. Doing food-to-go well in a community store is a major commitment requiring big investment, a bigger team and a lot of commitment to make it work. Luckily, Premier Birnman stores has all of that and more.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

FRESH & CHILLED RETAILER OF THE YEAR – INDEPENDENT STORE

SPAR COYLTON A recent refit by Ayrshire Spar retailer Chris McCallum proved the perfect opportunity to take his fresh and chilled offer to the next level.

Fresh and chilled has grown hugely in importance over the last few years and customers now expect a strong, well-presented offer when they visit a convenience store – a trend not lost on Ayrshire Spar retailer Chris McCallum.

The closed-door refrigeration and immaculate presentation makes the fixture inviting and enticing, which has helped grow sales and drive up profits from a category that can be challenging for retailers to get right.

When Chris was refitting his store he understood the critical role that a great fresh and chilled offer plays in both driving sales and in setting the tone for the store.

The refit saw the store gutted and rebuilt almost from the ground up and at the heart of the new store was what the judges referred to as a “next generation fresh and chilled offer”.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Chris’s new Spar Coylton store is beautifully presented throughout. The store is one of very few in Scotland to feature the latest Spar branding scheme and low shelving and bright lighting helps the store look much bigger.

Chris has committed a huge amount of space to the fresh produce and chilled categories, perfectly reflecting the growing demand for these products in convenience retailing.

“The fresh and chilled fixture is bang in line with what today’s shoppers are looking for: an extensive range of great quality products, competitively priced and well presented. It’s spotlessly clean, well stocked and offers something for every shopping occasion.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

FRESH & CHILLED RETAILER OF THE YEAR – CONVENIENCE MULTIPLE

SCOTMID BARNTON Scotmid Barnton offers a view into the future of convenience retailing with a fresh and chilled offer that is perfectly attuned to the needs of today’s shoppers.

An outstanding store in every sense, Scotmid Barnton is one of Scotmid’s newest stores and the enormous space dedicated to the fresh produce and chilled categories perfectly reflects the growing demand for these products in convenience retailing.

A fantastic range, beautifully presented marks the store out as something special in this keenly contested category.

The judges noted that “Scotmid Barnton’s fresh offer has been created with a perfect understanding of what modern shoppers are looking for when they visit their local store. They want top quality produce and products, ideally with much of sourced in Scotland,

and they want it presented in an enticing, engaging way that gives them the confidence to buy from the store time and again.”

SLR Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons commented: “Shopper consumption patterns have change enormously over the last few years. Many shoppers are now looking for healthier, fresh products and they want to be able to find everything they need in one shop, regardless of whether they’re planning to make lunch for the kids, cook that night’s dinner or just pick up a snack or something for lunch.

Scotmid Barnton offers everything they need and it’s a gorgeous shopping environment with perfectly presented fixtures.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

NEWSTRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PREMIER TURRIFF With three consecutive SLR Newstrade Retailer of the Year Awards, Turriff-based retailer Ian Smith’s store shows just what is possible when you fully commit to a category.

Our Newstrade Retailer of the Year is no stranger to awards, especially this one.

This is the third year in a row that Ian Smith has been recognised for his outstanding Premier Turriff store that demonstrates how the newspaper trade is still very much alive and well in stores that manage it properly.

The traditional printed newspaper and magazine market has been in slow decline for several years, but Ian has bucked this trend, with the judges noting that: “Premier Turriff shows what is possible when you commit to the category and truly understand your customers.”

The store offers a full range of local, regional and national newspapers as well as an enormous selection of magazines running to many hundreds of individual

titles. Ian manages the category closely and regularly updates his range to meet current demands. He also operates a vibrant Home News Delivery service.

SLR Publishing Director Antony Begley commented: “News and magazines still represent an enormous opportunity and retailers like Ian understand this. By working hard to understand their customers, they can offer them the range they are looking for.

“It’s often said that news is the freshest category in local retailing because it’s new every day and goes out of date at midnight every night. It’s one of the few categories that brings customers to the door seven days a week. Ian’s offer at Premier Turriff is unsurpassed and he thoroughly deserves to retain his title of SLR Newstrade Retailer of Year once again.”

www.slrawards.com

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C LD AS SCOTLAND’S NEWEST CRAFT BEER AVAILABLE WIDELY ACROSS SCOTLAND

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

OFF-TRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

NISA GREENS OF ELLON In a standout year for alcohol sales, Nisa Greens of Ellon stood out more than most by creating a fantastic shopping experience and offering an outstanding range.

The last year or so has been a challenging one, but opportunities have presented themselves for retailers willing to grasp them. Among the most striking of these was in alcohol sales, which bloomed under lockdown.

Many retailers did a great job of meeting that growing demand but the judges felt that Nisa Greens of Ellon rose above the rest when it came to understanding the new normal and delivering what shoppers were looking for.

Harris Aslam’s store was recognised by the judges for the immaculate general standards of the store and for its heroic achievements during the pandemic.

The judges noted that “there are locally, regionally and nationally sourced Scottish products available to the store’s customers in virtually every product category including gins, beers and whiskies”.

SLR Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons commented: “I think we all understand how important alcohol sales have become over the last 18 months with more people based at home and more free time available, coupled with an inability to use hospitality venues. Harris and his team responded to this opportunity in style and took an already outstanding section and made it even better.

“Effectively a store within a store, the alcohol section offers something for everyone, including many locally produced beers, gins and more.

“By buying products from local and regional Scottish companies, many of which are very small, Harris and his customers are helping support local businesses across Scotland and are helping build more robust local economies.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SCOTTISH BRANDS RETAILER OF THE YEAR

NISA GREENS OF ELLON It’s never been more important to support local, regional and national producers to help build more robust local economies, something Nisa Greens of Ellon has understood better than most.

The challenges of 2020 and 2021 forced many local retailers to look more locally for stock to grace their shelves – and many retailers found that experience to be a rewarding and beneficial one, in many ways.

One such retailer was Harris Aslam, whose Nisa Greens of Ellon store has further grown its already very extensive stock of local, regional and nationally sourced products during the last 18 months or so.

The judges were delighted to discover locally, regionally and nationally sourced Scottish products available in virtually every category from alcohol to confectionery, fresh meat, fresh produce and chilled.

They also noted the massively important role that local sourcing plays “in building vibrant local economies and supporting smaller, local producers across Scotland.”

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “I think we all understand how important local sourcing has become over the last 18 months. By buying products from local and regional Scottish companies, many of them very small, both retailers and customers are helping support local businesses across Scotland and are helping build more robust local economies.

“Harris has taken this ethos to a new level and his customer have access to a fantastic range of Scottish products and a huge range of products sourced from within just a few miles of the store.

“His customers appreciate that, and they also realise that by buying local products from a local retailer, they are helping to make their own communities and economies stronger.”

www.slrawards.com

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Congratulations to all the winners

from everyone at #holidaysarecoming

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SOFT DRINKS RETAILER OF THE YEAR

SPAR RENFREW Soft drinks is one of the biggest volume categories of all, making it a critical factor in the success of every store – something that Saleem Sadiq has long known in his Spar Renfrew store.

Renfrew retailer Saleem Sadiq is no stranger to the SLR Awards, having claimed more than his fair share over the years. To his enormous credit, he has won the Soft Drinks Retailer of the Year on numerous occasions, a testament to his ability to continually maintain the highest of standards and to continually evolve alongside the changing demands of his shoppers.

outstanding achievement for Saleem and his dedicated team.

The judges agreed that “Spar Renfrew’s soft drinks offer is simply about as good as it gets in convenience.

A huge range across all key sub-categories, a big selection of larger format packs and multipacks to cater for the current trend for get-togethers and all the latest new products, all presented beautifully.”

“Saleem’s ability to keep the store fresh and inviting and ahead of the curve is uncanny – and having a great team behind him makes all the difference.

To repeatedly triumph in a category that is as competitive and important as soft drinks is an

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Spar Renfrew has been winning awards for as long as we have been running the SLR Awards – which is almost 20 years now – and it’s easy to see why when you visit the store.

“His soft drinks offer is pretty much impossible to fault. He ticks every box and has responded perfectly to the latest trends, particularly around larger format and sharing packs. He also gets all of the basics right, every time.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

VAPING & NICOTINE REPLACEMENT RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PREMIER RACETRACK AUTOPORT The vaping category has reached a plateau in many stores, but not in Shamly Sud’s stunning Premier Racetrack Autoport store where sales continue to grow and develop.

Vaping and nicotine replacement has been a challenging category for many retailers, and it can be a complex category to do well – but Shamly Sud’s Premier Racetrack Autoport in Ibrox demonstrates quite clearly just how important and profitable the category can be if managed exceptionally well.

shoppers can get the support and advice they need when browsing the category. Whether they’re new to vaping or they’re hardcore sub-ohm vapeheads, the team can talk them through their requirements and deliver both fantastic products and a great shopping experience.

Credit should more properly go to Shamly’s son Guna who manages the category and who has devoted countless hours to understanding the category and what consumers are looking for from it.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley said: “Vaping has flatlined or worse in convenience and it’s not hard to see why. It really is a fast changing, complex category and you can understand why some retailers think it’s more hassle than it’s worth. But Shamly and Guna demonstate what is possible when you really commit to the category. The store brings shoppers from many miles around while the website caters for people across Scotland, the UK and even further afield.”

Those hours were not wasted as the store now sells a huge volume of vaping and nicotine replacement products, both from the six metre shop floor fixture and a dedicated website. An enormous range is complemented by extensive staff training that mean

www.slrawards.com

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02/12/2021 13:06:32 20/08/2021 17:29

SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

COMMUNITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

DAY TODAY STENHOUSEMUIR The Community Retailer of the Year Award proved a tough category for the judges. So tough in fact, that three stores were named as joint winners.

Asiyah and Jawad Javed’s monumental efforts during the pandemic have been an inspiration to all, not just in the Stenhousemuir area but worldwide. The bighearted retailers have appeared on TV in the UK, the middle east and the United States and have been featured in countless articles in regional and national Scottish and UK newspapers.

One of the many reasons why the judges picked them out as winners was their commitment at the start of lockdown to hand out free care packages, including hand wash, to anyone who wanted it in their area. This was when many less scrupulous retailers were hiking the price of handwash to exploit a desperate situation.

The couple have also been instrumental in bringing the local community together during the pandemic

and have contributed in countless ways to supporting their local area.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley said: “The last 18 months have been the most challenging the local retailing sector has ever faced but, once again, Scotland’s local retailers more than rose to the challenge. And none more so than Asiyah and Jawad. They have long been stalwarts of their local community but during the pandemic their efforts were nothing short of heroic.

“Handing out truly enormous quantities of free hand wash and care packages at a time when price-gouging was rife on handwash tells you all you need to know about Asiyah and Jawad. They are fine examples of everything that is wonderful about the community retailing sector in Scotland.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

COMMUNITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PREMIER LINKTOWN LOCAL The Community Retailer of the Year Award proved a tough category for the judges. So tough in fact, that three stores were named as joint winners.

Inspirational retailer Faraz Iqbal’s Premier Linktown Local store in Kirkcaldy has long been at the very heart of the local community.

customers as well as those shielding and self-isolating could still get what they needed under the most difficult circumstances.

There is very little community activity that happens in Linktown that Faraz doesn’t have some involvement with. He backs a raft of local charities, sponsors and supports a range of local activities, and sits on the committees of a host of local community organisations.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Faraz knows every customer and they know him. He just doesn’t know how to say ‘no’ when it comes to community initiatives, and he is involved in one way or another with most of what happens in Linktown.

It’s fair to say he’s pretty much the driving force behind the ongoing development of the area and during the pandemic the community came to rely on his store more than ever before.

“He has a strong creative streak and that creativity served him and his community well over the last 18 months, allowing him to find solutions to the seemingly never-ending stream of challenges that the last year threw at the community. He has a heart of gold and sharp brain to match and is genuinely worthy winner of this award.”

Alongside his tireless efforts to serve the community, Faraz also found time to introduce a home delivery service to make sure that vulnerable and elderly

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www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

COMMUNITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PREMIER WATSON’S GROCER The Community Retailer of the Year Award proved a tough category for the judges. So tough in fact, that three stores were named as joint winners.

As the only store in the small Dumfriesshire village of Moniaive, Premier Watson’s Grocer store has always been a vital resource for the local community, and this was never more so than during the darkest days of lockdown.

When the supermarkets began running out of key products at the start of lockdown, store owner Graham Watson quickly began to source essential products like pasta and rice in bulk from as far away as Australia.

He converted the front of the store into a bagging area where he, his wife and the team spent many long nights weighing and bagging products in preparation for customers for the next morning.

As a result, the store maintained fantastic availability throughout the pandemic and ensured that the Moniaive community could always find the products

and services they needed under the most difficult of circumstances.

Graham also introduced a home delivery service for vulnerable and elderly customers, as well as those housebound by coronavirus.

Commenting on the judges’ decision, SLR Publisher Antony Begley said: “Graham’s store in Moniaive is more than just a shop, it’s more than just a place for the local community to buy bread and milk. Premier Watson’s Grocer is a true community hub and Graham takes that responsibility with absolute seriousness.

The efforts of Graham and his team are beyond inspirational. He worked himself into the ground to look after the Moniaive community and he is a fine example of everything that is wonderful about this amazing community retailing industry.”

www.slrawards.com

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ai16345451328_SLR-Award-Press-Advert v2 HR.pdf

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

FORECOURT RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PREMIER RACETRACK AUTOPORT Premier RaceTrack Autoport has retained its Forecourt of the Year crown by taking an already awe-inspiring store and making it even more impressive.

The forecourt sector is going through something of a purple patch at the moment with renewed interest in the sector as fuel volumes return and operators get increasingly inventive around their store offering. One operator, however, is setting entirely new standards in forecourt retailing – so much so that she has retained her Forecourt of the Year crown for a second year running.

Shamly Sud’s Premier RaceTrack Autoport forecourt in Ibrox was a standout star of the show at last year’s awards and was probably one of the most visited stores in recent times as retailers flocked to Glasgow find out what all the fuss was about.

Over the last 18 months, Shamly has continued to develop and evolve an already awe-inspiring store

and has succeeded in creating something even more impressive.

The judges commented: “We often overuse phrases like ground-breaking but one visit to any of Shamly’s stores is all you need to see that she and her family have torn up the rulebook and written a new one.

Visiting one of her ground-breaking stores is a genuine experience. They are unique in the UK.” Drawing inspiration from study tours to the United States and the Middle East, Shamly has created some of the most immersive shopping experiences it’s possible to find in Scotland. From liquid nitrogen ice cream to Havana cigars, from 60+ flavours of slush to fully chilled beer caves, Premier Racetrack simply elevates local retailing to a new level.

www.slrawards.com

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02/12/2021 13:06:34

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

HOME DELIVERY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

PREMIER NEWS FOOD & WINE NETHERGATE Home delivery came to the fore during the pandemic, and nobody delivered the goods quite like our category winner, Dundee retailer Umayr Asif.

Home delivery was easily the industry’s biggest development over the past 18 months as many retailers launched a ‘direct to your door’ service to help ensure that elderly and vulnerable customers could still access the vital products they needed under lockdown.

While many stores adopted home delivery, Umayr Asif took it to a level that the judges had never seen before, anywhere in the UK. Using the Dundee-based Snappy Shopper app, which surged in popularity during the pandemic, Umayr and his team built a huge home delivery operation on top of the in-store business. He now runs a fleet of nine delivery vehicles and completes many hundreds of deliveries every week, often making deliveries in as little as 15 minutes from order.

The judges noted that “Premier Nethergate has redefined home delivery. As one of the first retailers to embrace home delivery, Umayr had a head start on the competition, but his achievements in the last 18 months are simply phenomenal.”

SLR Publishing Director Antony Begley added: “The judges unanimously agreed that Umayr and his team are doing something truly special.

“Home delivery quickly became a vital service for many customers at the start of lockdown but over time, the service has become more and more popular with shoppers. Even with the pandemic receding, growth in home delivery shows no signs of slowing down. That’s something Umayr has foreseen and understood, and his truly impressive home delivery business is proof of that.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

NEW STORE OF THE YEAR

PREMIER RACETRACK CROWWOOD One of Shamly Sud’s latest ventures, Premier RaceTrack Crowwood takes the serial award-winner’s vision in a new but recognisable direction.

Having blown the convenience world away with her stunning Premier Racetrack Autoport store in Ibrox, Glasgow retailer Shamly Sud and her family have clearly decided that resting on their laurels was not in their DNA as they have continued to open a chain of new stores, including Premier RaceTrack Crowwood.

As well as offering a very highly differentiated range – how many convenience stores do you know that sell Havana cigars from a humidor? – the store also delivers a unique, high energy, sensory experience using digital technology, complex lighting and outstanding shopfitting.

Recognisable as a Premier Racetrack creation, the store nonetheless takes the unique and impressive concept in a new direction. A much smaller store than Autoport, Crowwood has distilled the essence of Shamly’s vision down into a tighter, more focused store that still offers everything that shoppers could want – as well as a lot of things that they never even knew they wanted.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Having written about convenience stores for 20 years, it’s not often that you walk into a store a say ‘wow’. But that’s exactly what happened when you walk into any of Shamly’s stores. T “There is simply nothing else out there that’s like them.

Its theatre, it’s an experience, it’s a pleasure to shop.”

www.slrawards.com

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Project2

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

REFIT OF THE YEAR

SPAR FALKIRK Anand Cheema’s first venture into owning his own store was always likely to be high pressure but he has responded in style with an intelligently designed store perfect for today’s shoppers.

As the son of Scottish Grocers’ Federation Chief Executive Pete Cheema OBE, himself a former successful multi-site retailer, Anand Cheema has had an interesting journey into the world of owning and running his own store. Yes, he has been able to call on the support and experience of his family, but has also had the additional pressure of being in the spotlight to deal with in his first year as a retailer.

food to go island, a hot food counter and a full range across every important category means Spar Falkirk can cater for every requirement.”

He has delivered in fine style however and has delivered what the judges termed “a truly exceptional Spar store that his become the heart of the local Falkirk community he serves. The store is very, very pretty but, more importantly, the quality of thought that has gone into designing the store is exceptional. A large

“When he got the chance last year to become a retailer for the first time, it was irresistible to him – and it’s easy to see why. It was a real challenge and it carried real risks, but Anand has risen to every challenge and his store is simply excellent. He has a very long and successful career ahead of him.”

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Anand’s exposure to the convenience retailing environment for most of his young life has clearly helped him develop a sense of what a great store looks like.

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SUSTAINABILITY RETAILER OF THE YEAR

SPAR COYLTON Retailers who ignore sustainability do so at their peril and, as Chris McCallum’s Spar Coylton store shows, doing good really is good for business.

For long enough ‘sustainability’ was just another industry buzzword that many retailers, as well as manufacturers, just paid lip service to – if they acknowledged it at all.

However, as the recent COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow showed, it is now an issue that retailers ignore at their peril, with a growing number of savvy shoppers now actively seeking out sustainablyminded brands and stores.

No one understands this better than Ayrshire retailer Chris McCallum, our Sustainability Retailer of the Year, whose Spar Coylton store was hailed by the judges for its “admirable commitment to driving the vital sustainability agenda”.

Spar Coylton was fully refitted recently, giving the store a vibrant and welcoming look and feel. Core

to the refit was Chris’s commitment to enhancing his sustainability credentials and many aspects of the refit were driven by environmental motives, from installing energy efficient refrigeration and lighting throughout to adding reflective panels to the front door which help manage in-store temperatures.

The judges said: “The refit was carried out with sustainability in mind and the result is a very energy efficient store with a much reduced carbon footprint.”

SLR Publisher Antony Begley added: “Sustainability is an enormous issue for the local retailing sector and Chris McCallum is leading by example.

“Building sustainability into the fabric of the building is a great way reduce emissions and, importantly, to cut costs. Doing good really is good for business – and Chris is proof of that.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

#THINKSMART INNOVATION AWARD

PREMIER RACETRACK AUTOPORT Premier Racetrack is an example of what happens when innovation is built into the very fabric of a business, transforming the shopping experience into something unforgettable.

Innovation, particularly technological innovation, is increasingly important in local retailing but often we see innovation for innovation’s sake. Does it improve the shopping experience? Does it add something to the business? Does it save cost or increase profits?

In Premier Racetrack Autoport in Ibrox, however, it’s possible to see what happens when innovation is aligned with a deep understanding of customer needs and of how innovation can be leveraged to create something new and better for shoppers.

Shamly Sud’s store is packed with innovation in every sense, but every innovation has its purpose and a

good reason to be there. The result is a store that is nothing short of unforgettable. It’s a sensory explosion and it’s impossible to leave the store empty-handed and without a smile on your face.

SLR Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons said: “It’s very difficult to describe the experience of visiting Premier RaceTrack Autoport. It’s awe-inspiring, it’s exciting, it’s something you’ve never experienced before, certainly not in a convenience store. And that’s the true power of innovation. It’s innovation that has been harnessed and leveraged to create a unique shopping experience that makes customers want to return time and time again.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Scottish Grocers’ Federation

SPAR RENFREW Having a team that you can absolutely and entirely trust and rely on in the most challenging of circumstances is invaluable, as Saleem Sadiq discovered in March last year.

All retailers now the critical importance of having a team behind you that knows what you’re trying to achieve, that understands the importance of achieving the standards you set and that you can rely on implicitly, even in the most difficult of times.

That’s something that Renfrew Spar retailer Saleem Sadiq discovered last March, just as lockdown kicked in. It was challenging enough that no one knew how the pandemic would play out, who could stay open and who couldn’t, what in-store protocols there would be around coronavirus and what was going to happen to the supply chain. And then, if all of that wasn’t enough, there was the added complication that Saleem himself was at that point in bed quite seriously ill with Covid-19.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “It’s your worst nightmare. The world has changed beyond recognition and you don’t know which way is up – and the store owner can’t help because he’s lying in bed suffering from this new virus. The response of Saleem’s team, however, was inspirational. They gathered themselves together, sorted out everything that needed to be done and decided amongst themselves who would do what, sorting out their own rotas, organising orders and deliveries and generally just ensuring that the store carried on as normal.

“Even as the challenges of Covid piled up, the team found ways to meet every problem head on and create a solution that worked. Saleem is a very lucky man to have such a dedicated and capable team behind him.”

www.slrawards.com

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02/12/2021 13:06:41 2021-08-20 10:42

SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SYMBOL GROUP – COMMUNITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

NISA RETAIL – MAKING A DIFFERENCE LOCALLY Nisa’s Making A Difference Locally charity has been a fundraising star since 2008, but it shone brighter than ever during the dark days of 2020.

The worthy winner of SLR’s Symbol Group Community Initiative of the Year Award is a truly innovative charity initiative that raises money seven days a week for independent retailers to share as they see fit with local charities and good causes.

Operated by Nisa, Making A Difference Locally (MADL) was created in 2008 and is funded from a small percentage of the revenues from own brand products sold in Nisa stores. Money raised is then re-distributed to support community projects.

Nisa supplies well over 400 stores in Scotland and many of these actively take part in MADL. To date, more than £13m has been distributed to good causes throughout the UK through MADL with more than 15,500 individual donations made by Nisa retailers.

More than £1.25m was generated and shared in 2020,

a 44% increase on the previous year, demonstrating that more good causes than ever in Scotland received funds at a time when they needed them most.

SLR Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons commented: “The way that the funds are raised means that retailers are not having to rely on the goodwill of their customers to donate money; every time they sell an own-brand product, retailers add to their MADL pot.

“Best of all, Scotland’s local retailers have complete freedom over which charity or good cause they donate the money too.

“More often than not, the money is donated to smaller, less well known – but no less deserving – good causes.

This makes it a truly local, truly community focused model.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SYMBOL GROUP – INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

UNITED WHOLESALE SCOTLAND Technology can make life easier for retailers, but United Wholesale Scotland’s efforts during the pandemic also made life a whole lot safer for them too.

United Wholesale Scotland (UWS) was a worthy winner of the Symbol Innovation of the Year Award, recognised for its impressive commitment to leveraging the power of technology to improve its business.

Among the initiatives that helped UWS take the crown was the launch of a brand new home delivery service at the start of lockdown in 2020. Built from the ground up, its home delivery app let retailers quickly and easily implement a direct-to-door service for their shoppers.

This proved vital for vulnerable customers.

UWS also implemented a raft of other technological innovations to streamline the business and ensure customer safety of its customers.

These included a new ‘pay on your phone’ app which allowed retailers to pay for their purchases quickly and

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easily in depots, with minimised contact risk. It also helped retailers reduce the time spent in the depots.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “Despite the fact that 2020 was an unbelievably difficult time for symbol groups and retailers with enormous supply chain challenges, UWS somehow managed to find the time to really ramp up their adoption of new technologies to improve their business, streamline their service and, most importantly, ensure that their staff and customers were safe and secure.

“The launch of a full home delivery solution is no mean feat and to have achieved it in such a short space of time is testament to the creativity and drive of UWS Managing Director Chris Gallacher and his team at the company.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SYMBOL GROUP OF THE YEAR

SPAR SCOTLAND Chief Executive Colin McLean and his management team have pulled Spar Scotland from the brink of disaster and transformed it into a world-class business.

It’s no coincidence that all of our winning retailers happen to trade under a fascia, demonstrating that behind every outstanding retailer is a great symbol group.

It’s also fair to say that behind every great symbol group is a great management team, and that’s certainly the case for our Symbol Group of the Year, Spar Scotland.

It wasn’t so long ago that the business was in such bad shape that many observers thought it would go to the wall, but it has been transformed in the last three years by CEO Colin McLean and his new management team.

However, it was the company’s efforts over the last year specifically that saw it take the Symbol Group of the Year Award, with recently-released accounts

showing turnover up almost 10% and profits growing to £3m.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “What Colin McLean and his team have achieved in such a short space of time is nothing short of remarkable.

“Despite the enormous pressures and challenges of Covid, Spar Scotland has stuck to its original five-year recovery plan and has delivered year-on-year growth with 2020 being a particularly successful year and praise must go to everyone at Spar Scotland.

“There’s hardly a community in Scotland that hasn’t benefited from that vision, commitment and passion over the last 18 months. The sleeping giant has reawoken and the team at the company have built a solid platform upon which to build long into the future.”

www.slrawards.com

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www.bestway-retail.co.uk 02/12/2021 13:06:44

SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

UNSUNG HERO OF THE YEAR

ANGELA LINDSAY

PREMIER BLACKADDER MINI MARKET & DELI Every local retailer has been a hero during the pandemic, but Angie Lindsay’s quick thinking and prompt actions saved a customer’s life.

Scotland’s local retailers have performed heroically over the last 18 months – but the remarkable actions of one Berwickshire shopworker earned her our Unsung Hero of the Year Award.

Angela Lindsay works in Blackadder Mini Market in Greenlaw, Duns, where David ‘Tug’ Wilson is a regular customer.

While he was shopping, Angie noticed Tug seemed out of sorts and was slurring his words. She took the decision to leave the shop and followed him home where she

found Tug in extreme distress and realised that he had suffered a lifethreatening stroke.

Angie quickly contacted members of his family and organised an ambulance. In stroke cases, the speed that the victim is treated at hospital is of critical importance and Angie’s quick thinking helped ensure Tug made a great recovery.

Speaking at the SLR Awards, Tug thanked Angie for “saving my life.”

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “We all know that

community stores have been heroic during the pandemic, keeping Scotland’s communities fed and watered and generally acting as lifelines for the entire country.

“Angie’s actions, however, deserve special mention. There can’t be many people who can claim to have saved someone’s life but Angie’s compassionate heart and sharp mind meant that Tug got the help he urgently needed. This is true heroism and a wonderful and example of what is so special about this unique industry.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD

DANIEL JOHNSON MSP Retailers in Scotland can look forward to safer, more respectful working environments in the future thanks to the outstanding efforts of Daniel Johnson MSP.

For as long as anyone can remember, abuse and violence have been part of working in the local retailing sector. What’s worse is that this abuse and violence seem to have become normalised and generally accepted as ‘part of the job’. Countless studies find shopworkers are abused, threatened, assaulted and worse daily.

So it’s hard to overestimate the importance of a new law introduced in Scotland after some lengthy and outstanding work by Daniel Johnson MSP. Supported by the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, Johnson steered his Shopworkers Protection Bill through parliament until it finally became law this autumn.

It is a monumental achievement and one that promises the opportunity to rid our sector of a scourge that has

overshadowed local retailing for as long as anyone can remember.

The new law offers shopworkers greatly increased protection while simply going about their work – and is long overdue.

SLR Publisher Antony Begley said: “On behalf of the entire local retailing sector in Scotland, I would like to thank Daniel Johnson for his commitment to getting this done. As he has long maintained, abuse and violence are ‘not part of the job’. It’s unacceptable in a modern society. As Johnson says himself, however, the new law is the start of a journey, not the end of one. The entire sector needs to work together to help eradicate this scourge by reporting every crime every time. And let’s hope our retail cousins across the UK also get to benefit from this type of long overdue protection soon.”

www.slrawards.com

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

YOUNG SCOTTISH LOCAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR

ANAND CHEEMA, SPAR FALKIRK It may be only his first year as a local retailer but what a year it’s been for Anand Cheema, who has done himself and his mother and father proud in his little corner of Falkirk.

Anand Cheema has retailing in his blood, not least because he’s the son of Scottish Grocers Federation Chief Executive and former multi-site retailer Pete Cheema OBE. Consequently, Anand spent his formative years in and around his mum and dad’s stores soaking up a lot of knowledge – all of which he has put to good use in his very first year of running his own store.

Anand only bought his first store last year but has succeeded in creating a truly exceptional Spar store that his become the heart of the local community.

While having the invaluable support of his mum and dad to draw on, Anand also had the additional pressure of being in the spotlight to deal with in his first year as a retailer. As the judges commented however,

“he has come through that test with flying colours.

The store is very, very pretty but, more importantly, the quality of thought that has gone into designing the store is exceptional. A large food-to-go island, a hot food counter and a full range across every important category means Spar Falkirk can cater for every requirement.”

SLR Publisher Antony Begley commented: “I have had the privilege of knowing Anand for many years.

He has always been hungry to learn and ambitious, and his previous roles with Spar Scotland and Envipco have clearly helped him develop a sense of what a great store looks like. Buying his own store was a real challenge and carried real risks, but he has risen to every challenge and his store is simply excellent.”

www.slrawards.com

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*All featured GB Pepsi and Britvic single serve plastic bottles (500ml and 600ml), excluding caps/labels, are made from 100% recycled plastic. Larger bottles (over 1L) planned to change to 100% recycled plastic by the end of 2022. ** Cap and bottle only

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SLR AWARDS 2021 A VIRTUAL FESTIVAL OF EXCELLENCE

SCOTTISH LOCAL RETAILER OF THE YEAR

SHAMLY SUD, PREMIER RACETRACK By totally transforming the concept of what convenience shopping is, Shamly Sud has created an award-winning chain of stores that is unique in the UK.

Our Scottish Local Retailer of the Year, Shamly Sud, was recognised by the judges for having “rewritten the rule book about what a convenience store is and does”.

Shamly, who runs a chain of Premier Racetrack stores across Glasgow with her family, has drawn inspiration from study tours to places as far apart as the United States and the Middle East, to create some of the most immersive shopping experiences it’s possible to find in Scotland. From liquid nitrogen ice cream to Havana cigars, from 60+ flavours of slush to fully chilled beer caves, Premier Racetrack simply elevates local retailing to a new level.

Hailing Premier Racetrack as “a truly ground-breaking business,” the judges said: “Visiting one of her stores is a genuine experience. They are unique in the UK.”

SLR Publisher Antony Begley added: “Having written about convenience stores for 20 years, it’s not often that you walk into a store and say ‘wow’. But that’s exactly what happens when you walk into any of Shamly’s stores. There is simply nothing else out there that’s like them. Its theatre, it’s an experience, it’s a pleasure to shop.

“Every detail has been considered from the highest possible shop fitting standards to 70 digital screens, all in one store. Even the customer toilets are amazing.

When was the last time you experienced Italian marble, whale noises and Dyson hand dryers in a convenience store toilet?

“Premier Racetrack is a truly outstanding business and we are proud to have Shamly as our SLR Local Retailer of the Year 2021.”

www.slrawards.com

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