18 October 2007
Bestway Retail Development Awards 2007
One of the industry's top award schemes - the Bestway Retail Development Awards - has made 17 awards and given away £70,000 in total prize value.
The prize value comprised £35,000 in cash and £35,000 worth of free stock and other benefits and was awarded to independent Bestway and Batleys cash and carry retailers across England, Scotland and Wales, when over 400 attended a glittering event at London's Grosvenor House. (17th October)
The winning independent retailers are judged on a measured series of 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 criteria are if the store has a professional look to it and is well managed.
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 Katharine Mulholland of Whingate Stores in Arnley, Leeds who takes the top prize of £10,000 and collects the Bestway Trophy, certificate and product credits presented by Mr Zameer Choudrey, Bestway’s group chief executive.
A number of retailers who regularly use Batleys’ depots were represented in the top list of winners, they included:
Mr Ishtiaq Qureshi of Llanrumney Stores, Cardiff who won the top store in the Southern region and who received £3000 prize and the Bestway Trophy, certificate and product credits.
Mr Jeevan Singh of Harborne Off Licence and Store, Birmingham who was the Northern region runner up and won an award and £2000 prize.
Mr Gurinder Ghag of Radford Stores, Coventry won the top prize for his sales of Beer and Cider and received a trophy and £1000 prize.
Mr Kiran Basra of Bierley Superstore, Bradford who won the big prize for his sales of Crisps and Snacks and received a trophy and £1000 prize
Speaking at the awards, Bestway’s group chief executive, Zameer Choudrey said, “In this, our sixth 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, who use Batleys and Bestway wholesale depots attending our development seminars in the North and South this year, proving that more and more independents want to improve themselves and their businesses. We are very proud to be able to link up with all our supplier friends in the industry to make this one of the most special and important events of the year.”
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.
Bestway’s cash and carry group managing director, Mr Younus Shiekh 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 |
Mr Ranjit Singh | Waller Stores Luton |
Beer & Cider Inbev Coors Scottish & Newcastle Gaymer Cider |
Mr Gurinder Ghag A Batleys customer |
Radford Stores Radford Coventry |
Wines & Spirits Constellation Wines Pernod Ricard Ernest & Julio Galio Diageo |
Mr Nigel Wells |
Hulham Road Stores Exmouth |
Tobacco Imperial Tobacco |
Mr Mehdoob Dossa |
News ‘n Shop Bow, London |
Confectionery Nestlé Confectionery Cadbury Trebor Bassett |
Mr Mohammed Hameed |
Lightbowne Stores Moston Manchester |
Crisps and Snacks KP McVities Pepsico Walkers |
Mr Kiran Basra A Batleys customer |
Bierley Superstore Bradford |
General Grocery & Pet Food Heinz Kellogg's Masterfoods |
Mr Mohammed Safeer |
Shenley Supermarket Selly Oak, Birmingham |
Household, Health & Beauty Procter & Gamble Kimberley Clarke |
Mr Abdul Rehman |
Azad Supermarket Sparkhill, Birmingham |
Chilled and Frozen Birds Eye Eatwell Müller |
Mr Chelvatheebam Srijothy |
Sri Ganapathy Supermarket Yardley, Birmingham |
The entertainment for the evening was provided by the comedian, Omid Djalili.
The Bestway Retail Development Awards are staged in association with Independent Retail News magazine.