LONDON, 2015-6-16 — /EPR Retail News/ — Topaz has won the NACS Insight 2015 International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award for its Re.Store convenience forecourt concept. The award, sponsored by Imperial Tobacco Group, was presented during the NACS Insight Convenience Summit – Europe in London on June 11.
With more than 330 locations across the country, Topaz is Ireland’s largest fuel and convenience brand. Topaz opened its Re.Store concept at its Manor Stone Ballacolla forecourt, located at junction 3 on the M8 Dublin to Cork Motorway, in January 2015.
“In an increasing number of markets, convenience and fuel retail stores are our main link to consumers and they play a vital role in helping us build brand equity,” said Ramon Kuijpers, international key accounts manager at Imperial Tobacco Group. “We want to recognize these stores for their professional support and for putting the shopper at the heart of their business in a challenging and competitive environment. Simply put, at the end of the day it all happens on the shop floor and that is why we feel passionately about this award and have sponsored it for the last seven years.”
Competition for this year’s Convenience Retailer of the Year Award was incredibly strong, with nine extraordinary companies – four from Ireland, two from the United Kingdom, and one each from Norway, Switzerland and Argentina – selected by convenience and fuel retailing industry peers as finalists.
“Judging the winner this year was very challenging in such a competitive field. Topaz is looking to redefine convenience retailing with this new format and I genuinely feel it deserves the accolade ‘next generation.’ Thanks to the scale of its recent capital investments, Topaz has not simply built one stunning flagship store; it is rolling it out at considerable pace,” said Dan Munford, managing director of Insight.
Since opening its doors six months ago, food accounts for a significant portion of Re.Store’s sales. Customers can choose from a variety of fresh options such as salads and sandwiches, as well as gluten-free foods and protein-rich porridge pots. The store’s coffee program, complete with trained baristas, is also a key contributor to Re.Store’s bottom line, accounting for one third of coffee sales.
Henry Armour, president and CEO at NACS, said: “Topaz demonstrates that great, nutritious and healthy foods are meeting today’s shopper needs along with traditional convenience store offers. This is a movement taking shape across the globe and we are thrilled that companies such as Topaz are leading the way.”
Since 2009, the NACS Insight International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award has recognized excellence in convenience and forecourt retailing on an international stage and celebrates the best convenience retail formats from around the world. Retailers are judged across key criteria including format innovation, range, people development, customer service initiatives, corporate social responsibility, technology and results.
Now in its second year, the NACS Insight Convenience Summit – Europe (conveniencesummit.com) brings together convenience and fuel retailing industry professionals from around the world to discuss new ideas and gain new commercial connections. This year’s event kicked off in Berlin on June 7 and ends on June 12 in London.
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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 152,700 stores across the country, posted $696.1 billion in total sales in 2014, of which $482.6 billion were motor fuels sales. NACS has 2,100 retail and 1,600 supplier member companies, which do business in nearly 50 countries.