A Westmeath service station scooped the top honours in a national awards ceremony when it was named Ireland’s Forecourt Retailer of the Year 2011.
The N4 service station, Mace in Ballinalack beat off competition from 500 service stations across the country to take the top prize at the sixth annual Ireland’s Forecourt & Convenience Retailer Awards (IFCR ) in Dublin.
A worthy winner, N4 Service Station Mace, Ballinalack run a fantastic operation where investment both in the business and staff is their top priority, closely followed by sourcing and selling local produce.
The company run a comprehensive training scheme for all staff and in the last 12 months a number of staff have been multi-skilled trained to ensure that everyone has a full understanding of the business and can appreciate everyone’s role.
The owners are firm believers that customer service is key to their business success, so much so that their staff will carry a customer’s basket around the shop floor for them.
Emphasis had been placed on planned consistent growth which has enabled the retailer to overcome challenges successfully and continue to improve. For 2011 N4 Service Station will be expanding the business further by opening an off licence.
Judge Jill Beasant of Spotcheck commented: “The winning forecourt impressed the judges with their clear identification of the needs of their customers and how they have created a vibrant and exciting business to exceed their expectations.”
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Pat O’Neill of the N4 Service Station, Mace Ballinalack, said “Winning this award is a true reflection of the dedication and effort and good spirit by everybody involved in the business through the good times, and more importantly, the tough times over the past few years. It’s an award more for them than anyone else and gives us great encouragement to move the business forward.”
With over 500 individual award entries received from throughout Ireland, success in these awards signifies a major achievement for independent retailers.
This unique event helps to raise industry standards in the forecourt and convenience retailing industry throughout Ireland by recognising excellence and rewarding professionalism in the retail sector.
