SPAR Malone Road in Co. Antrim has returned from the Convenience Awards 2026 with the biggest award of the night, Convenience Retailer of Year.

The store also won Large Convenience Store of the Year, while Linzi Moore from EUROSPAR Cullybackey was chosen as Sales Colleague of the Year. The two stores are the only finalists from Northern Ireland to bring home awards from the ceremony.

The competitive annual awards, which took place in Liverpool recently, saw top-tier convenience store operators and suppliers from across the UK, gather to forge new connections, recognise excellence and celebrate together. The two NI winners faced competition from stores throughout all UK regions and proved triumphant on the night.

Judges praised SPAR Malone Road for its “strong performance and community focus”. The store achieved a 14% like-for-like sales increase on the previous year and a 4% rise in basket spend, creating a true one-stop shop that caters for both on-the-go and top-up shoppers, ensuring they can get everything they need under one roof. Alongside a comprehensive grocery range including fresh and frozen, the store also features a local butchery range from Cunninghams Butchers, an in-store bakery, and an extensive hot food-to-go offering, as well as an instore Post Office for shoppers’ convenience.

The judges also recognised SPAR Malone Road’s strong community engagement, highlighting the store’s involvement with local schools, youth groups, churches and charitable organisations.

SPAR Malone Road’s community engagement was also recently recognised at the Retail Week Awards as the team won the Community Heroes Award. The team has raised over £10,000 for local charities and initiatives including Air Ambulance NI and Marie Curie. The store also often makes donations of essential items to Antrim Animal Sanctuary and South City Community Centre. The team has held two large litter picks of the local and surrounding areas and developed their own habitat-for-nature at the edge of their forecourt by planting a bee and butterfly friendly garden which is used by the neighbouring primary school, St Brides.

Cullybackey’s Linzi Moore was praised by the judges for her dedication and community support, singling Linzi out for her “unwavering patience and knowledge”.

Described by her colleagues as an honest, caring and hard-working employee who excels in her role, Linzi has progressed from customer advisor to team leader, and her exceptional work ethic has recently led her to take on the role of Loss Prevention Co-ordinator. Linzi’s colleagues described how Linzi always goes above and beyond in her role, often training team members from other stores in the same role, ensuring they are confident in their new position.

Linzi is known by all the local shoppers and surrounding businesses, and her colleagues described how seeing Linzi’s friendly face is one of the reasons shoppers return to the store. Linzi has also played an exceptional role in the community presence of the store and has been involved in establishing partnerships with several local charities and organisations, while implementing events and initiatives to fundraise for them in-store.

George Rankin, Retail Director at Henderson Group says Linzi makes a huge contribution to the store, team morale and the local community; “Good customer service is what our shoppers will always remember after visiting one of our stores, and Linzi ensures the community of Cullybackey will do just that. It is clear that Linzi always goes the extra mile for the local community and her exceptional work throughout EUROSPAR Cullybackey and beyond is so appreciated by all. We all send our congratulations to Linzi!”

Of SPAR Malone Road’s wins, George said “To bring home these three fantastic awards, including the biggest award of the night at the Convenience Awards, is fantastic for the store and the whole team. The awards are a reflection of the hard work and dedication the team shows in SPAR Malone Road every day. The store is a clear example of a community focused store, with everything shoppers need under one roof, and a hugely positive impact throughout their local community. Picking up such prestigious awards against tough competition from stores across the UK is so admirable and we all send our congratulations to the team for this very deserved recognition.”

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