Judges have shortlisted four retailers in the first International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award, launched by Insight and NACS and sponsored by Imperial Tobacco and Airplay.
In alphabetical order, the four finalists are:
- Pick n Pay Express, Pick n Pay South Africa
- Ryan’s Centra, Musgrave Retail Partners, Ireland
- Sainsbury’s Local, Sainsbury’s UK
- Spar China, Spar International/Spar China
They will now go forward to the online vote (click here), where readers of Global Convenience Store Focus will be able to elect their favourite and determine the overall winner. Voting closes at 2pm GMT on 11 September 2009.
Full profiles, including photographic and video evidence, of each convenience contender are featured in this newsletter below. Links for online voting are also featured on each retailer profile.
The judging panel comprised:
- Raymond Maingard, founder of a leading retail services company in South Africa
- Stephanie Rice, a retail consultant specialising in marketing
- Simon Chinn, analyst, Verdict Research
- Dan Munford, partner, Insight Research
- Joe Bona, president, CBX
- David Killeen, ceo Australasian Association of Convenience Stores
- Ramon Kuijpers, international key Accounts manager at Reemtsma Cigarettenfabriken GmbH (Imperial Tobacco)
- Peter Knott, managing director at Airplay
Judges were enormously impressed with the strength of the retailer submissions and participation from around the globe.
Sainsbury’s Local
Simon Chinn, retail analyst at Verdict Research, said: “It was a tough choice, as the calibre on all the entries was very high and it was very close call between a few of them.”
David Killeen, executive director at the Australasian Association of Convenience Stores, agreed: “There are some great ideas and concepts,” he said.
Joe Bona, president at CBX, praised the entry from Spar China, stating: “It is really world class for any market.”
Pick n Pay Express was a favourite with our panel too, which considered it to be a “very strong candidate”.
Raymond Maingard, founder of a leading retail services company in South Africa, was impressed by Ryan’s Centra in Raheen.
“Very professional and covered all the points, just brilliant,” he said.
Sainsbury’s Local found favour with Peter Knott, managing director at Airplay. “It has moved its convenience concept along and has a very clear customer proposition,” he said.
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Dan Munford: world class field |
Dan Munford, partner at Insight Research, thanked all of the retailers who participated in the award in its inaugural year and his colleagues on the judging panel for their work in evaluating the entries.
“The field was truly world class and the judges’ expertise and input has been invaluable in electing four outstanding finalists,” he said.
“We now move on to the online voting, where readers can elect their favourite and crown one retailer as International Convenience Retailer of the Year 2009.”
The winner of the award will be announced at the industry dinner at the new Gaucho, Argentine-style restaurant in Smithfield, London, on 15 September during the Insight NACS Future of International Convenience & Petroleum Retailing event.
For further details and to book your place(s), visit the web site.
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Award program sponsored by Airplay and Imperial Tobacco |