TOP PRIZES FOR BUDGENS & LONDIS AT CONVENIENCE RETAIL AWARDS

Warner's Budgens, Broadway scooped the top prize at the Convenience Retail Awards being named Convenience Retailer of the Year. They also won the prize for Best Independent Store.

Grewal's Budgens of Chorleywood won Best Large Store, with Warner's Budgens Moreton-in-Marsh Highly Commended in the same category.

Londis News'R'Us won the prize for Best Customer Service

Congratulations to all our winners

WINNERS FOR MUSGRAVE GB AT QUALITY FOOD AWARDS

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Quality Food Awards – the most prestigious awards for food and drink products on sale in the UK. For every main category there was a new award for own-label product ranges whose priority is to give consumers maximum value.

Good Value Assorted Crisps - Bagged Snacks (value category)
Good Value crisps were introduced in early 2009 and appeal to consumers of all ages. Their 18g 'responsible-snack size' is appealing to many consumers and the product has no artificial flavours, colours or MSG.

"This is an excellent value-for-money product", agreed the panel. "It would be a great addition to a lunch box and at 95p for a 12-pack it is extremely good value for money", agreed the panel.

The judges commended the "good, clean and natural flavours" and also praised the clean-looking presentation. "The quality of this product has not been compromised at all as a result of the very competitive price point", concluded the panel.

Good Value Jaffa Cakes - Biscuits (value category)
Good Value Jaffa Cakes are light sponge cakes covered in plain chocolate with orange-flavour filling. After rigorous product benchmarking and blind tasting sessions, this product was launched in early 2009.

The product has a great balance of tangy orange and soft sponge and the judges were overwhelmed with the amazing value that this product offered.

"Unbelievable, fantastic - they eat well, and the flavour is first class", said one judge. "This really is a tremendous product."

"The packaging is excellent, the box is striking and the chocolate is of a high quality", agreed the panel.

"At 89p per packet I will certainly be heading to the shops to buy some", added one of our judges.

WINNERS FOR MUSGRAVE AT INDEPENDENT ACHIEVERS ACADEMY AWARDS

Musgrave had a successful evening at the Independent Achievers Academy awards with three wins:

• Award for shop layout – Julian Taylor Green, Londis, Lindford
• Award for environment and sustainability – Terry and Melanie Philpott, Londis, Castle Cary
• Award for staff development – Gwen Patterson, Centra, Donaghadee

Congratulations to all our winners.

AWARD FOR SHOP LAYOUT
Julian and Jackie Taylor-Green, Londis, Lindford

Judge’s commented on Julian and Jackie Taylor Green’s store saying that they run the shopping equivalent of the ‘tardis’. Having refurbished their shop in March, their customers became convinced that the store had increased in size. However, it’s all down to Julian and Jackie’s clever use of space and aversion to clutter. The judges were also impressed with the ambience and lighting in-store, which is proving a real draw to customers.

AWARD FOR ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY
Terry and Melanie Philpott, Londis, Castle Cary

The judges were impressed with the winners’ commitment to creating an environmentally friendly, sustainable business. Its recycling programme has reduced landfill waste by at least 50%. Its policy of stocking local produce and support of the Friends of the Earth’s ‘shop local’ campaign has not only contributed to reducing the food miles of products in store but also encourages its customers to drive less far for their weekly shop. In addition to all this, they’re exploring more eco-friendly packing options and aiming to drive down electricity consumption.

LONDIS WINS KEY CORE RANGING AND MERCHANDISING AWARD

Londis has won the silver award for the ‘most effective in-store merchandising and compliance’ in the Field Marketing & Brand Experience Awards 2009 for the work, in partnership with Elevate, on core range and merchandising (CRAM) in Londis stores.

The CRAM programme involved over 100 nominated Londis stores and the commitment from suppliers across 12 categories. The result was some significant retailer performances with the highest achieving over 50% uplift in sales.

Overall sales across the CRAM categories grew by almost +15%. The programme resulted in one of the participating retailers, Roli Ranger of Ascot, going on to win last year’s Asian Trader merchandising award.

MORE AWARD WINS FOR LONDIS

Customers in the district of Breckland – an large rural area in Norfolk – have overwhelmingly voted Londis Old Buckenham Stores as the best independent village store for the whole region.

The store, run by Venuka Seeverathnam and her cousin Nathan Seeverathnam, won nearly 80% of the online vote for the ‘Bliss’ award run by Breckland District Council to show its support for independent businesses.

“It was the first time these awards had been run,” says Venuka, “so we are really happy. We had a big celebration.”

Becky Jefcoate, economical development officer at Breckland District Council was there to pass over a specially-made banner so that the shop could advertise its success. Their Londis retail sales manager (RSM) Jon Chapman was also there along with John Miller, regional director, Midlands.

Adrian Joel, Old Buckenham’s local councillor, helped the shop staff and some of their regular customers to show off the banner to the photographers and to open a suitable celebratory bottle of champagne. Venuka adds that they also got a lot of coverage from Anglia TV and local papers.

WINNERS FOR MUSGRAVE GB AT ASIAN TRADER AWARDS

A successful evening for Musgrave GB at the Asian Trader awards, where for the third year running, the overall winner and Asian Trader of the Year is a Budgens retailer. This year’s champion is Raj Samani.

Other successful retail partners are as follows:

Asian Trader customer champion award
Sunder Sandher, Londis Leamington Spa

To win this award, you must put the customer first in every way. Sunder Sandher, who recently spent £190,000 in a refit, has wheelie baskets for the elderly, a bag up service on tills, automatic doors, wide aisles for wheelchairs and prams, free delivery and Collect Plus to pick up or drop off parcels. A measure of his painstaking approach to customer care is that he is one of a tiny band of independents to have an official Investors in People plaque on the entrance. The store raises money for customer nominated charities, phones old folk to check they are ok if they don’t come in and staff are trained in courtesy, service and politeness above all else.

Sunder, who is a local magistrate, holds an annual street party for customers with free food, drink and DJs. He was one of the first independents to trial on-shelf spirits. His alcohol offers are displayed in original distillery oak barrels. To preserve the character of the neighborhood, the store’s original Victorian hoarding has been carefully preserved at great cost. In summer, the entrance also boasts a seasonal blitz of flowers to further brighten up the street.

FIVE WINNERS FOR MUSGRAVE GB AT RETAIL INDUSTRY AWARDS

A successful evening for Musgrave GB at the Retail Industry Awards with four awards for Budgens and one for Londis

Budgens retail partner Guy Warner won three awards: Community Retailer of the Year, Independent - for Warner's Budgens Independent Retailer of the Year, 1001-2999 sq ft - for Warner's Budgens Broadway Independent Retailer of the Year 3000 sq ft and over - for Warner's Budgens Moreton-in-Marsh

Londis retail partner Dee Sedani won Independent Newsagent of the Year

Budgens won Fresh Produce Retailer of the Year, Independent Company Owned

Musgrave Retail Partners NI Gwen Patterson from Centra Moat Filling Station was Highly Commended in the Community Retailer of the Year category Congratulations to all our winners.

MUSGRAVE GB TRIUMPHS AGAIN AT 2009 FORECOURT TRADER AWARDS

Musgrave retail partners won 12 awards at this year's Forecourt Trader Awards, with 8 awards going to Londis Multiple Account holder Sewell Retail, including the overall winner's award of Forecourt Trader of the Year to Patrick Sewell. Last year's champions Philip & Lesley Tout of Tout's Budgens, Nailsea also won 3 awards.

Full Musgrave results as follows:

Forecourt Trader of the Year - Patrick Sewell, Sewell Retail Chanterlands
Main Route, Independent Dealer with 10 sites or more - Patrick Sewell, Sewell Retail, Willerby
Neighbourhood, Overall Winner - Patrick Sewell, Sewell Retail Chanterlands
Neighbourhood, Independent Dealer with 10 sites or more - Patrick Sewell, Sewell Retail Chanterlands
Neighbourhood, Independent Dealer with up to 9 sites - Philip & Lesley Tout, Tout's Budgens, Nailsea
Neighbourhood, Oil Company/Supermarket, owned & managed - Nicola Farrell, Trolan's Supervalu, Ballymoney
Best site with a licence to sell alcohol - Quentin Wilson, Sewell Retail Chanterlands
Best car care & lubricants outlet - Quentin Wilson, Sewell Retail Chanterlands
Best crisps & snacks outlet - Philip & Lesley Tout, Tout's Budgens, Nailsea
Best hot bererages outlet - Katherine Batch, Sewell Retail, Willerby
Best use of retail technology - Tom Massey, Sewell Retail, Pocklington

THREE WINS FOR MUSGRAVE GB AT CTP AWARDS

Musgrave Retail Partners GB scooped three awards at the annual CTP awards on 14 May.

Londis won Best Services Retailer.

(Musgrave’s other supermarket chain Budgens won the Best Fresh Retailer Award and Best BWS Alcohol Retailer)