Glittering ceremony celebrates the best in the convenience channel
THE very best of the Scottish convenience retail sector once again gathered at the Hilton Hotel Glasgow for the return of the industry’s biggest night of the year – the Scottish Grocer Awards 2024.
Marking the 28th celebration of the annual Scottish Grocer Awards, retailers, category sponsors and key industry figures descended on Glasgow for a night celebrating the best the sector has to offer, against the backdrop of what has certainly been another challenging year for the trade.
In the face of endless legislation and rising costs, Scottish c-store owners have once again proved they are up to the task and met these hurdles head on.
During the last 12 months, plenty of retailers have shown their strengths and their merit, proving to Scottish Grocer judges that the competition has never been more tight.
Indeed, Scottish Grocer editor Giles Blair noted the personal impact of these judging visits earlier in the year and just how humbling it was to meet some thoroughly impressive individuals who have given their all to communities they are clearly passionate about.
Starting out the night, BAT provided the welcome drinks for attendees with an activation to showcase both the firm’s Vuse vape products as well as its Velo nicotine pouches.
JTI was also on hand with an activation to showcase its Ploom heat-not-burn device, demonstrating the product to Scottish retailers.
After this, it wasn’t long before the host of the Scottish Grocer Awards 2024 Elaine C Smith made her return to the stage.
Before announcing the evening’s winners, Smith kicked off the night with a comedy set that ensured people were crying with laughter and helped attendees to settle in for an exciting evening.
• Starting the presentation of gongs and ensuring an extra fizz of excitement was the Best Soft Drinks Retailer of the Year Award, which recognised those operators who know just how to bubble up their sales.
And Spar Renfrew took home the first gong of the evening, with a comprehensive soft drinks range that caters for every shoppers’ need.
• After a staple of the convenience market, the evening made a move to the future as The Innovation Award winner was announced.
Premier RaceTrack Pitstop Wishaw’s unique and forward-thinking set up was more than enough to impress judges as the retail chain shows, once again, where the future of the industry may lie.
• Next up on the night was the Tobacco Retailer of the Year Award, highlighting a tough category and those retailers who aren’t afraid to back down from a challenge.
And, for one last time, Mumtaz Ali, store owner of Best-One Mace South Bridge, took home the prize, topping off an impressive and successful career for his store before his retirement in the new year.
• It’s an endlessly hot topic and on the mind of plenty of retailers on a near daily basis, making the Vaping Retailer of the Year Award one of the more important gongs to look at during the evening.
With a clearly laid out, secure and future-proof section in store, Premier RaceTrack Pitstop Bearsden was named the winner for 2024.
• Taking on the challenge of a massive store refit in the current climate is no small feat for a retailer, lumping on plenty of risk but with an equal opportunity of a reward.
And in this case, the team at Nisa Local D&M Fraser proved they made the right decision with their store refit, with the complete transformation impressing judges and securing the Best New Store of the Year win.
• Following this, the evening moved on to the latest addition to the Scottish Grocer Awards, with Impulse Retailer of the Year.
Highlighting a retailer’s savvy approach to marketing with an enticing range that shoppers can’t say no to, Day-Today Bankton took home the gong for its irresistible range of on-the-go goodies.
• The next award had plenty of people raising their glasses – the Licensed Retailer of the Year – highlighting those retailers whose off-trade section reflects the demand from locals, whether this be through canned cocktails or the biggest beer selections.
Premier Whitehills took home the gong for its section that elevates the symbol’s beer cave offer and a spirits section designed and based on its local customers’ tastes.
• Green thinking has dominated the convenience channel for years now and the Sustainability Champion marks those stores that put the planet first in their operations.
Smart technology, engagement with the local area and an emphasis on fresh produce saw community-owned shop Armadale Stores take home the gong back to the Isle of Skye.
• While a BOGOF deal is no stranger in retailers’ stores, it was now the Scottish Grocer’s turn to give back with its Symbol Store of the Year Awards.
For both awards, judges looked for those stores that demonstrated good use of the fascia they trade under and how this supports their store.
Symbol Store Single was awarded to Spar Motherwell Road, recognising the strengths of the independent store estate that wholesaler CJ Lang & Son offers for the Spar Scotland symbol group.
And for Multiple Stores, Trinity Retail took home the gong for its range of stores in the Greater Glasgow Area operating under three different symbols, with Nisa, Spar and Morrisons Daily.
• Following this, the night looked to those retailers who truly go the extra mile when it comes to their local area, with the Community Retailer of the Year award.
Clearly an important part of operations for plenty of retailers in Scotland, Premier Broadway Convenience Store took home the highly coveted prize for the warm atmosphere found in the store and its endless community initiatives that have all helped in turning this store into a true hub for the local area.
• Next up, we turned to those staff working directly on the store floor with the Employee of the Year award, acknowledging the hard graft that thousands of workers in the sector put in every day of the year.
And for her dedication to not only her own store but as an ambassador for the Spar Scotland symbol, Kelly McCulloch, manager at Spar Market Crosshouse, took home the gong.
• With only three awards remaining, the anticipation in the room was building as we turned to the Independent Retailer of the Year Award.
Recognising those store owners who can stand on their own two feet in a fiercely competitive field, this award highlights some of the strongest retailers in Scottish convenience, who have shown both savviness and resilience to deliver a store that’s well equipped to cater for the local area.
For those reasons and countless more, Premier Girish’s @ Barmulloch was named the Independent Retailer of the Year.
• Finally, the evening turned to its biggest awards of the night, ones that mark those particular retailers who have shined the brightest in their field, with an unending dedication to the industry.
Both recipients of these awards had been chosen in secret by a panel of judges made up of representatives from the Scottish Grocer as well as award sponsors to find some exceptional members of the channel whose work in the sector deserved such recognition.
First up was the Entrepreneur Award. To choose this winner, Scottish Grocer judges and award sponsor JTI worked together in secret to find an individual who demonstrated a true entrepreneurial spirit and showed that they know the Scottish convenience channel inside and out.
For these reasons, the judges saw fit to name Billy Gatt, of Premier Whitehills, as winner of the Entrepreneur Award, marking his landmark store in the Banff area as well as his exceptional ability to manage a range of responsibilities that all ultimately serve to benefit his store and community.
• Finally, the evening turned to the Industry Achievement Award. For the top accolade of the evening, Scottish Grocer judges worked with assessors from Republic Technologies to find retailers whose charitable spirit and engagement with the local area has not only garnered international recognition, but saw the pair receive a personal thank you from King Charles.
Demonstrating there is no mile too far they would go to in order to help those around them, both Asiyah and Jawad Javed, of A&J Alloa Road Shop – Spar, won the Industry Achievement Award 2024.
Their endlessly charitable efforts and hard graft show the pair are some ideal ambassadors for the Scottish convenience channel, and are emblematic of the very best retailers that the sector has to offer.
Both Asiyah and Jawad took to the stage to give their thanks, remarking how honoured they were to receive the accolade, noting the number of hours many retailers put in behind the scenes to ensure the strength of their store.
Following this, the ballroom stayed alive with entertainment from Scottish bagpipe rock band Drums N’ Roses, provided by Swan by Republic Technologies, whose covers of popular tunes ensured the room took straight to the dance floor.
Elaine C Smith also stopped by the Atrium to take selfies with attendees to raise some extra funds for GroceryAid, helping to further support the worthy industry charity.
Finally, DJ Euan Whelan rounded out the evening, keeping everyone on their feet well into the night and helping to ensure that the Scottish Grocer Awards 2024 went out with a bang for yet another year.
