International Convenience Retail Awards Announced

Rutter’s and Alain Bouchard of Alimentation Couche-Tard honored as industry leaders at the NACS Insight Convenience Summit - Europe.

June 05, 2014

LONDON – The sixth annual International Convenience Retail Awards, recognizing and promoting convenience retailing excellence at the global level, were presented last night at a gala event in conjunction with this week’s NACS Insight Convenience Summit – Europe.

This year’s honorees are:

  • NACS Insight International Convenience Retailer of the Year: Rutter’s (United States)
  • NACS Insight International Store Manager of the Year: Kate Walsh, store manager, Herlihy’s Centra Fermoy (Ireland)
  • NACS Insight International Convenience Leader of the Year: Alain Bouchard, president and CEO, Alimentation Couche-Tard (Canada)

In naming York, Pennsylvania-based Rutter’s as Retailer of the Year, judges emphasized how retailer delivers a world-class convenience store through its focus on people, technology, rewards and food. The company was also recognized for its QSR-modeled food format and quality ingredients, combined with world-class operations and best-in-class use of social and mobile technology.

Ramon Kuijpers, international key accounts manager at Imperial Tobacco, said: “Rutter’s clearly recognizes that people make all the difference. Building on its heritage, it lives and breathes this every day throughout every aspect of the business.” The Retailer of the Year award was sponsored by Imperial Tobacco.

BP M&S Simply Food was also commended for the revitalization of its offer with a new, customer-led proposition. Launched in 2009, the award recognizes excellence in convenience and forecourt retailing on an international stage and celebrates the best convenience retail formats from around the world.

Judges also praised Walsh’s focus and management approach and her success in making Centra Fermoy a great place to work. Walsh has worked at the Herlihy Group for more than seven years and has progressed through the ranks from grocery manager to assistant manager, then fresh food manager to her current role, which she took up in April 2013. Judges found that Walsh’s knowledge and training in the fresh food arena has given her the key skills to develop the business, complemented by her degree in Human Resources, which provides her valuable insight into people management and the skills to motivate and lead a team.

Store Manager Serena Guihen was also recognized for her performance at Centra Moycullen, Ireland. During her tenure, store sales have grown by 43% and she has helped transform the workplace into an enthusiastic, energetic and willing team.

Commenting on the entries in the 2014 award, David Ringer, regional director, TCC Global, said: "What a great selection of award entrants for International Store Manager of the Year. Retail is a people business and what unites all of these entries is the fantastic, positive impact that these managers have upon their colleagues, their communities and their store.”

Bouchard, said the judges, is a “transformational leader” and a very worthy winner of the inaugural International Convenience Leader of the Year Award. He has contributed, along with his team, to transforming the image of the convenience store in the minds of North American consumers and has led Couche-Tard’s growth in the Canadian convenience store industry. Today, Couche-Tard’s convenience store network spans more than 6,200 stores in North America; 2,300 stores across Scandinavia, the Baltics, Poland and Russia; and, through licensing agreements, more than 4,200 stores in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.

More than a businessman, Bouchard contributes to improving the quality of life of his fellow citizens through his support of social, humanitarian and cultural causes and has developed a sense of leadership that continues to inspire. 

From left: Dan Munford, managing director of Insight Research; Kate Walsh of Herlihy’s Centra Fermoy; Derek Gaskins, Scott Hartman and Cathy Hartman of Rutter’s; Serena Guihen of Centra Moycullen

Alain Bouchard, president and CEO, Alimentation Couche-Tard (center) accepts the award for NACS Insight International Convenience Leader of the Year.

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