LONDON, 2014-6-9 — /EPR Retail News/ — U.S.-based convenience store chain Rutter’s (York, Pennsylvania) has won the 2014 NACS Insight International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award, sponsored by Imperial Tobacco. The award was presented during the 2014 NACS Insight Convenience Summit – Europe in London on June 4.
Judges said Rutter’s delivered a world-class convenience store through its focus on people, technology, rewards and food.
“Rutter’s clearly recognizes people make all the difference. Building on its heritage, it lives and breathes this every day throughout every aspect of the business,” said Ramon Kuijpers, international key accounts manager at Imperial Tobacco. “Rutter’s perfectly blends traditional values with modern marketing solutions, putting shopper needs first. Given its successful and sustainable sales track record, customers clearly acknowledge this.”
Joe Bona, president, retail division, CBX, was equally impressed. “The QSR modeled food format and quality ingredients combined with world class operations and best in class social and mobile technology make Rutter’s a real standout in the competitive field of convenience retailing,” he said.
“Proprietary initiatives like their ‘Remember me’ ordering technology that tracks your previous 12 purchases helps to improve speed of service and facilitates the ordering process. The company’s green initiatives and industry recognition for customer service and mobile technology make them an ideal best practice retailer,” added Bona.
Fellow award nominee, BP M&S Simply Food was also highly commended for the revitalization of its BP M&S Simply Food offer with a new, customer-led proposition. “The fresh range is of high quality and provides extensive meal solutions throughout all day parts,” said judges, adding, “The warmth and authentic use of textured materials make Wild Bean Café a featured and complementary department for busy customers on the go and, having a separate till, provides even greater convenience for customers.”
The NACS Insight International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award was 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.
Note to editors: Images available upon request.
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About Insight Research
Insight Research (insightresearch.co.uk) is a U.K.-based strategy, publishing and events business specializing in the international convenience and fuel retailing industry. It offers international retailers strategic advice in developing effective and profitable convenience retail concepts and new store formats, based upon international benchmarking. Insight Research also publishes Global Convenience Store Focus, a monthly industry newsletter, and broadcasts television programs on the sector through its Retail Vision video platform (retailvision.tv).
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Founded in 1961 as the National Association of Convenience Stores, NACS (nacsonline.com) is the international association for convenience and fuel retailing. The U.S. convenience store industry, with more than 151,000 stores across the country, posted $696 billion in total sales in 2013, of which $491 billion were motor fuels sales. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,600 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.