Thursday 15th October 2009
Bestway Customers Scoop Up Retailer Development Awards 2009
The people who make up the success of any local community across the UK have been rewarded this week at the retail industry's top awards - the Bestway Group's Retailer Development Awards.
With a total prize value in excess of £75,000, including product credits, nineteen awards were presented to independent retailers from across England, Scotland and Wales at a glittering event for 400 people at London’s Grosvenor House.
The winning independent retailers are judged on a measured series of their store improvements set against the following criteria; the range of goods stocked, the POS (point of sale) materials used, sales increases, pricing policy, store layout and space in the store, equipment used and the success of new lines. The key judging criteria include requiring the store to have a professional look to it, be well managed and give customers the very best service.
The top award and title of National Retailer of the Year goes to the person who has shown the most outstanding all round performance. This year that winner is Mrs Shahnaz Kayani of One Stop Saver store, Crumpsall, Manchester who takes the top prize of £10,000 and collects the Bestway Trophy, certificate and product credits presented by Zameer Choudrey, Bestway’s group chief executive.
Retailer successes have also been recognised from around the country. The winner of the Northern (Bestway) region is Mr Bilal Hassan Ghafoor of the Manchester Superstore, Cannon Street, Bolton, and the winner of the Southern (Bestway) region is Mr Mohammad Shazad of S.T Food and Wine, Palmers Green, London. Both these winners received £3000 prizes and the Bestway Trophy, certificate and product credits.
The runners up were; from the Northern Region, Mr Zahid Razzaq of Food World Supermarket, Ward End, Birmingham and the Southern Region Mr Capber Temur of Oz Food of Tottenham, London. Both win £2000 each.
There are two Best One symbol group awards; the winner of the Best One trophy is Mr Ptitesh Patel of Best One Belle Island, Leeds. who wins £3000 and the Best One runner up Mr Salaman Rasul of Best One Westcross, South Wales who wins £2000. They were presented with their prizes by Arshad Chaudhary, operations director of Bestway Group.
The presentation of a Community Award to recognise the valuable work done by the independents for the general contribution to the welfare of the local community. The winner this year is Mrs Sally Cann of Croft Stores, Silverstone, Northants and she wins £1000 the trophy and certificate. This award is sponsored by IRN magazine.
Speaking at the awards Bestway’s group chief executive, Zameer Choudrey said,
“At Bestway, we continue to grow from strength to strength. This year has seen robust performance from all our businesses. In 2009, Bestway Group has achieved another milestone as our turnover has surpassed £2 billion.
“In this, our eighth year of staging these awards, I am very pleased to say that standards continue to improve across most of the independent sector. The pressure on the retailer to deliver excellent service never lessens, and it was particularly good, therefore, to see greater numbers of people attending our development seminars in the North and South this year, suggesting that more and more independents want to improve themselves and their businesses. We congratulate all nineteen winners and wish them all well in their businesses.”
The awards also recognise top performing retailers who excel in the way they display and promote products across the key sectors including; soft drinks, beer and cider, wines and spirits, tobacco, confectionery, crisps and snacks, general grocery, chilled and frozen goods, household and health and beauty and water.
Bestway’s Cash and Carry group managing director, Younus Sheikh presented the remaining winners with their awards of £1000 each and a certificate.
The full list of remaining category winners is: (Sponsors of prizes in italic)
| Category |
Winner/Store |
| Soft Drinks Coca Cola GSK Red Bull Britvic Boost |
Mr Hitesh Karsan Hathershaw Mini Market Oldham, Manchester |
| Water Nestlé Waters |
Mr Rahil Ghouri Acacia Wines and Convenience Store Staple Hill, Bristol |
| Beer & Cider AB Inbev Molson Coors Scottish and Newcastle Gaymer Cider |
Mr Mohammed Chaudrey Haunchwood Service Station Nuneaton |
|
Wines & Spirits Constellation Wines Pernod Ricard Ernest & Julio Gallo Diageo |
Mr Pritpal Shur Booze Master Holbrooks, Coventry |
| Tobacco Imperial Tabacco |
Mr Kulwant Singh Gora Gora Enterprises Stourbridge |
| Confectionery Nestle Confectionery Cadbury |
Mr Mohammed Qureshi Polly Food and Wine Willesden, N West London |
| Crisps and Snacks KP PepsiCo Walkers |
Mr Ibrahim Kara Emek Supermarket Tottenham, London |
| General Grocery & Pet Food Heinz Kellogg's Mars/Masterfoods Nestlé Purina United Biscuits General Foods - Old El Paso |
Mrs Jan Mapstone Valley View Fruit Store Powys, Cardiff, Wales |
| Household and Health & Beauty Procter & Gamble Kimberley Clark |
Mr Victor Thavakuman 7 Days Convenience Stores Stoke Heath, Coventry |
| Chilled & Frozen Birds Eye Muller Kepak |
Mr Esref Ergisi Costcutter East London |
| OTC Medicines Ceuta Heathcare |
Mr Jitendra and Mrs Tupti Patel Best one T&S News, Portsmouth, Hants |
The comedian and impersonator, Jon Culshaw, with many BBC TV successful series’ to his name provided the entertainment for the evening.
The Bestway Retailer Development Awards are staged in association with Independent Retail News magazine. part of Metropolis Media Ltd.. The magazine also sponsors the Community Award.