Landmark Awards

Lifestyle Express Wins Availability Award

	Stuart Johnson (Centre) collecting the award which was presented by sponsor James Lowman (Left) of the Association of Convenience Stores and Blake Gladman (Right) of him! research & consulting.

Landmark Wholesale's highly successful Lifestyle Express Retail Development Programme won ’Best Retailer for Availability’ at the recent him! Convenience Tracking Programme (CTP) annual awards. Lifestyle Express has already won many other industry awards since it was created four years ago to help regenerate the independent retail sector. It now has rebranded over 2250 stores with Retailers typically enjoying average sales growth of 29%.

Landmark Wholesale Retail Controller, Stuart Johnson, was delighted to receive the award, “Research has shown that availability is one of the most important issues for convenience store customers. In the last 12 months, our rating for product availability rose from 5th to best-in-class. This is recognition of yet another area where Lifestyle Express is getting the C-store package right for our Members, Retailers and consumers.”

Each year him! speaks to 25,000 convenience store customers to understand why shoppers visit certain types of store, what they are buying and their experience of the stores. him! also speaks to 2,500 store staff and managers to understand issues which affect sales in store.

Chris Doyle, Landmark’s Business Development Director, said that the award was the result of dedication and commitment, “Stuart Johnson, his team and our Members have worked hard to raise standards in the independent retail sector. We are particularly proud of this award which reflects real shoppers’ views of our achievements.”

2010 will see major developments for the Lifestyle Express Retail Development Programme.  The new 3 year Business Plan includes 3 new initiatives to encompass:

Store discipline, which will be audited and managed by the Lifestyle Support Team; Evolution Programme which develops Retailer’s stores to 4 bespoke formats - Neighbourhood, Transient, Off Licence and Impulse as well as improved fascia and store imagery.

Hat-trick of awards for Landmark's Premier

Harrow-based Premier Wholesale was the big winner at Landmark Wholesale's Annual Awards held at the Belfry Hotel last week, picking up three awards on the night including the top honour of Member of the Year.

Premier also received the award for Cash & Carry Small Depot of the Year and Own Brand Depot of the Year, a significant achievement given the increased spotlight on Own Brand in the current economic climate.

Eighteen awards were presented at the Gala Event to reward and recognise achievements made within the Group, including specialist categories in Foodservice, and Own Brand Development.

On the Foodservice side, William Yule in Fife were voted Foodservice Member of the Year for a second consecutive year, whilst fellow-Scottish Members Martex Perth and the Sutherlands Brothers were jointly awarded the Suppliers Foodservice Depot of the Year.

Suppliers were also recognised on the night with JTI retaining its title of Supplier of the Year as voted for by the Membership as well as Supplier Project of the Year, with GSK winning the Foodservice equivalent of both awards. Heineken were most improved Supplier of the Year.

Landmark Wholesale's Managing Director, Martin Williams explained "Our awards are now in their ninth year and each award is fiercely contended by our Membership and supporting Suppliers. Whilst there can only be one winner in each category, the closeness of the competition proves the strength and depth that the Landmark Wholesale Group has across the country, and the high standards that we are consistently achieving.

"In recent years we have broadened out the categories to include Foodservice-specific awards to emphasise the development of this growing area. Our Supplier Awards are in recognition of the importance we place on good Supplier relations and again these titles are keenly contested within the Supplier community and demonstrates the good work being achieved on this front."

Two special Outstanding Achievement awards were awarded on the night in recognition of individuals contribution to their own company as well as to Landmark Wholesale as a Group. The first was awarded to Parfetts Cash & Carry's Trading Director, Bill Pace for A Lifetime of Outstanding Service to the Wholesale Trade ahead of his retirement at the end of this year. Tom McClymont, a senior buyer at Stranraer-based Andrew McMillan received his award for 37 Years Service to the Wholesaler.

Central Office Employee Award went to Gordon Walker, Trading Controller responsible for the Chilled and Frozen category in recognition of the development achieved in driving this difficult category forward for the Group.

The full list of winners are as follows: