Scotmid Barnton in Edinburgh has scooped two prestigious awards at last night’s 2014 Convenience Retail Awards. The store was crowned the Best Multiple Convenience Store in the UK and picked up a second award for the Best Use of Technology.
Scotmid Barnton was recognised by the judges for its outstanding service, local supplier product range, customer facilities, fresh and local produce, and the design and layout of the store. The store was also praised for its engagement with the local community. Staff have raised over £3,000 for their local primary school in Cramond and have held a number of fundraising events for the school in-store.
The Barnton store won the Best Use of Technology award for its interactive customer touchscreen, which is used to communicate with shoppers and engage with the local community. Customers can use the touchscreen to find out about community events, news and special offers. The interactive screen can also be used to give feedback to staff and find out about Scotmid’s work with local suppliers, as well as charity and community activities.
Scotmid Barnton was completely refurbished in April 2013 to improve the shopping experience for shoppers. A host of new customer services have been introduced, including an in-store bakery, artisan breads from The Breadwinner Bakery, freshly ground coffee and orange juice. The range of fresh produce, craft beer and specialty wines, meat and fish, and products from local suppliers have all been expanded to give customers a greater choice and variety.
Colin McLean, Chief Operating Officer for Scotmid Co-operative said:
“Winning these two awards is a tremendous honour for everyone at Scotmid. These prestigious accolades show that Scotmid Barnton is leading the way in convenience retailing, while remaining at the heart of the local community. We are very thankful to all of our staff, customers and the community for their support.”
Clare Surgenor, Store Manager of Scotmid Barnton said:
“It’s been a real team effort to win these awards – from the management team to our customer service assistants. I’m extremely proud of each of them for what they have achieved. We are very proud of the way we communicate with our customers, and our new customer touchscreen is taking convenience retailing into the future. It’s been a useful resource for the local community to have this kind of technology in our store – we’ve used it to put up news, special offers and information about events going on in the local area. Our customers can also find out more about our local suppliers and discover more about Scotmid and the work we do with communities across Scotland.”
She added: “I’d like to thank our customers and local residents for their loyalty and for helping us to build a better store.”
Allan Robertson, Regional Business Manager for Scotmid Co-operative said:
“We are thrilled to win these awards. It is wonderful to be selected from true leaders in our industry. Our customers really like the new-look store and their feedback since we completed the refurbishment has been fantastic. I would like to thank the Store Manager Claire Surgenor and her team for all of their hard work.”
This is the second year that Scotmid has won the Best Multiple Convenience Store award, after Scotmid Warrender Park in Edinburgh picked up the prize in 2013. The Convenience Retail Awards are the most prestigious awards for the convenience store sector in the UK.