Last Thursday, the 31st March 2011,saw the 2011 Convenience Retail Awards winners unveiled at a lavish presentation dinner at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London.
The presentations covered a number of categories, including store awards as well as special category awards designed to recognise initiatives by c-store retailers in some of the industry's more challenging areas. The Zero Tolerance Award for Crime Prevention, sponsored by Loomis for the past two years, is one of those. The award seeks to reward those who have minimised or eliminated a persistent specific problem connected to crime or anti-social behaviour in or around their store and was this year won by Spar Pike Hill for their work within their store and community in Burnley. The award was presented by Stuart Bartlett, Commercial Director of Loomis to James Ratcliffe of Spar Pike Hill, and the pair were joined by celebrity Paul Ross on stage. Bartlett said, "It’s never easy to select someone to receive an award, especially when there are so many retailers out there really having a positive effect in their communities. The efforts made by the stores who submitted an entry, and even those who did not, serve to emphasise the real effects a community can have in taking a stand against crime together. Loomis has always worked with retailers to combat crime in all its guises and because of their collaborative approach, is extremely proud to award Spar Pike Hill for their inspiring actions." "James, Dave, Carol and the members of BEAT IT, are an example to us all and we are delighted to see them receive this year’s Zero Tolerance award", he continued. |  |
Ashley Bailey, Loomis Managing Director said, “Spar Pike Hill are worthy winners and we would like to congratulate them, and indeed the rest of the night’s worthy winners on their awards. Loomis is committed to driving down crime and risk in retailers’ everyday operations, but equally important is supporting initiatives such as Convenience Store magazine’s Zero Tolerance anti-crime campaign which aims to stamp out retail crime for good and we are pleased to play our role.”
The winners, on the night, were;
Convenience Retailer of the Year | The Village Store, Spar, Walthamstow |
Category | Winner |
Best Independent Store | The Village Store, Spar, Walthamstow |
Best Large Store | Warner's Budgens, Bidford on Avon |
Best Multiple Store | Spar, Pike Hill, Burnley (G&E Murgatroyd) |
Best Small Store | Premier Singh's Herries Road, Sheffield |
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Specialist Category Winners |
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Best Chilled Food Retailer | Essentials, University of Kent, Canterbury |
Best Customers Service Award | Nisa Fisher's, Gerrards Cross |
Category Management Award | Londis Southwater |
Excellence in Impulse Award | Red Tiles Service Station (Mace), Witton Gilbert |
Independent News Trader of the Year | Town Common News, Christchurch |
Responsible Retailing Award | Londis Abbotsbury Road, Weymouth |
Zero Tolerance Award for Crime Prevention | Spar Pike Hill, Burnley (G&E Murgatroyd) |
Product of the Year | Mountain Dew Energy Drink |
Wholesale Business Initiative | Nisa-Today's - Making a Difference Locally |
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Lifetime Achievement Award | Colin Graves, Costcutter |