Fitzpatrick's wins Forecourt/Convenience Store of the Year
Fitzpatrick’s Spar Express in Co Kildare has won a prestigious prize at the glamourous Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Awards in Dublin.
The site took home the award for Forecourt/Convenience Store of the Year with C-Store over 1,751 sq ft category.
Accepting the award, store manager Patrick O’Hanlon said: “I can’t believe it. I’m absolutely delighted. We’ve all worked very hard throughout the year to achieve this accolade.”
Like all finalists, the Co Kildare site underwent rigorous independent judging, including mystery shopping visits, to overcome competition throughout the island of Ireland.
Category sponsor for the award was Lindt. It’s representative on the night was country manager Walter Angst who said: “Confectionery is becoming increasingly important and the forecourt sector is the fastest growing market in this category. It’s a really big channel, and Ireland has some of the best convenience retailers in Europe.”
Set in the fabulous DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Dublin, on Thursday September 15, and hosted by Irish broadcaster Gráinne Seoige, the awards celebrated the finest convenience retailers from across Ireland north and south.
Winning the overall award on the night – Forecourt of the Year – was Maxol’s M3 Mulhuddart Site in Co Dublin, which opened just five months ago.
The Mulhuddart site had been entered automatically into the running for Forecourt of the Year after winning the competitive Newcomer of the Year award earlier in the night.
Also winning an award on the night was Monaghan man Ray McCaughey, who took home the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. Ray, who founded the McCaughey’s 24 hour Service Station in Bloomfield, Castleblayney, was presented with his crystal trophy by last year’s winner of the same award, Supermac’s founder Pat McDonagh.
This year’s awards followed Ireland’s biggest retailing conference of the year, which took place in the same venue earlier that day.
A focused Trade Exhibition, meanwhile, took place alongside the daylong conference, with over 70 exhibitors displaying some of their latest services and technologies.
The three strands - awards, conference, and trade exhibition - all formed the constituent parts of the Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Summit 2016.
All Black’s legend Sean Fitzpatrick, now a leading business consultant, led the action-packed programme of inspirational speakers at the conference.
The conference was hosted by Irish broadcaster Matt Cooper.
Also speaking on the day was international retail design guru Joe Bona, founder of Massachusetts based company MoseleyBona Retail. He was joined by Mike Murphy, Senior Vice President of New York and New Jersey retail chain, QuickChek; Euro Garages Commercial Director Ilyas Munshi; IGD Director Ben Miller; BBC behavioural expert David Meade; and RGDATA Director General Tara Buckley.
Bill Penton, publisher of Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer, welcomed the calibre of support and entries for this year’s awards.
“These incredibly successful awards reflect the strength of Ireland’s forecourt and convenience industry,” he said. “The sector has truly made a quantum leap in terms of standards and ideas, and is clearly one of the most innovative and exciting industries to be involved in at this time.”
Speaking about the conference, he added: “This was our first conference, and a huge success. Hundreds of delegates left with practical tools they can now take away and implement in their businesses. We were also delighted by the popularity of our focused Trade Exhibition, and a lot of major deals were done on the day.
“The feedback so far has been phenomenal, and we are already looking forward to next year’s event!”
Overall sponsor of the awards and conference was Nestle Professional, while the award’s category sponsors included Dairyglen, Philip Morris Limited, FIFO, JTI Ireland, Revolution, Costa Express, Lindt, PetroCourt, Supermac’s, Bord Na Mona, MTS Security, and Eurotank.
Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer is Ireland’s number one trade publication for the retail and forecourt industry. Its annual awards are judged by an independent panel from Spotcheck, and regarded as a key event in the retailing calendar.
