Olympic gold medallist rower Fintan McCarthy, Olympic 100m hurdler Sarah Lavin, world silver medallist boxer Aoife O’Rourke, Double Paralympic medallist swimmer Róisín Ní Ríain, World Champion para-rower Katie O’Brien and table tennis Paralympian Colin Judge help launch Major Partnership

Leading retail group SPAR and EUROSPAR have been confirmed as Official Retail Partners to The Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland. The partnership will see SPAR and EUROSPAR support Team Ireland as they build towards and compete at the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

On hand to launch the partnership were double Olympic Champion rower Fintan McCarthy, two-time Olympic 100m hurdler Sarah Lavin, two-time Olympic boxer Aoife O’Rourke, two-time Paralympic swimming medallist, Róisín Ní Riain, former World Champion Para Rower Katie O’Brien and two time Paralympian and former European Para Table Tennis Champion, Colin Judge.

This partnership builds on SPAR and EUROSPAR’s heritage of supporting local and elite sports which includes sponsoring the European Athletics Championships since 1996, supporting more than 80 competitions and promoting healthy living through sport and a balanced diet.

SPAR and EUROSPAR have a long-standing track record of serving local Irish communities since the first store opened in 1963, giving back and investing significantly in community and charity programmes to support local causes, community clubs and groups.

Between now and the Los Angeles Games, SPAR and EUROSPAR Retailers will offer exciting opportunities for communities to show their support for their local athletes.

Officially launching the partnership, John Moane, Group Chief Executive, BWG Group (owners and operators of the SPAR and EUROSPAR brands) said; “We believe strongly in the positive impact of sport for all ages and abilities, and in the adage that it takes a village to raise an athlete. With a family of more than 450 community Retailers across Ireland, it is a natural fit for SPAR and EUROSPAR to become Official Retail Partners to Team Ireland, the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland.

“This is a huge opportunity for SPAR and EUROSPAR to support and showcase the talents of Ireland’s Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they build towards the LA Games in three years’ time. Over the course of the partnership, we’ll be providing opportunities for our customers and our 14,000 colleagues to get involved and show their support too.”

Commenting on the partnership, OFI CEO Peter Sherrard said; “We are delighted to welcome SPAR and EUROSPAR as official partners of Team Ireland. The Olympic and Paralympic journey is never travelled alone, but it is supported by coaches, families, volunteers, and local communities all over the country.

“SPAR and EUROSPAR are at the heart of those communities, and their support reflects the spirit of togetherness and pride that defines every Olympic and Paralympic athlete’s journey. This partnership is a celebration of the countless people who stand behind our athletes as they prepare to represent Ireland on the world stage, and we are looking forward to working with the team at SPAR and EUROSPAR as we focus on the road to Milano Cortina 2026 and LA 2028.”

Paralympics Ireland CEO Stephen McNamara said; “‘Paralympics Ireland is delighted to welcome SPAR and EUROSPAR as our newest partners. Para sport is continuously growing and improving both nationally and internationally so it is fantastic to be joined by brands like SPAR and EUROSPAR that will help us to drive that growth throughout our country.”

“I look forward to working closely with our new colleagues in SPAR and EUROSPAR along with our friends in the Olympic Federation of Ireland as we look towards Los Angeles in 2028.”

Olympic gold medallist rower Fintan McCarthy said; “Athletes work incredibly hard to achieve their dreams of participating in an Olympic or Paralympic Games, but nothing would be possible without the support of their local communities. Every athlete has their own story, whether it’s the club they started out at or the teacher that encouraged them to keep going.

We’re grateful for the support of SPAR and EUROSPAR, whose longstanding commitment to both grassroots and elite sport highlights the vital role communities play in helping athletes progress from local beginnings to the world stage.

Double Paralympic medallist swimmer Róisín Ní Ríain said; “It’s hugely positive news that SPAR and EUROSPAR are partnering with the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics Ireland between now and the 2028 Games. SPAR and EUROSPAR Retailers are known for their support of communities across Ireland, and I can’t wait to witness the exciting ways they engage with the Irish public to support Team Ireland all the way to Los Angeles.”

The post SPAR and EUROSPAR Supporting Team Ireland to LA 2028  appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

The new retail strategy, which aims to cement SPAR’s positioning as Ireland’s leading and highest-performing convenience retail group, was revealed at the SPAR and EUROSPAR Retailer Convention in Killarney which was attended by more than 400 independent retailers from across the country.

Central to this strategy is a commitment to significantly expand SPAR’s store network from 420 to 450 stores nationwide over the next three years, with the expansion plan supported by a dedicated retailer growth and recruitment programme. SPAR has a very strong track record of investing alongside independent retailers and forecasts over €30 million being invested in developing stores over the next three years.

As part of the expansion programme, SPAR will actively target new greenfield and brownfield sites for development. 20 percent of SPAR’s store openings over the past three years originated from new construction developments, highlighting SPAR’s focus on identifying and developing new locations.

John Moane, Group Chief Executive of BWG Group said, “This comprehensive new strategy puts SPAR and its retailers in a very strong position to continue leading the market and performing strongly into the future. While current macro-economic dynamics would suggest headwinds across the domestic economy, we’re confident that our investment in category leadership and store experience will ensure the optimum performance of our independent retail partners.”

Moane added “SPAR is a major international brand with global appeal and a local feel, making us a highly attractive partner for independent retailers. Over the past 20 years and beyond, SPAR has established itself as an integral part of many new and growing communities across the country. As part of our new strategy, we want to reaffirm SPAR and EUROSPAR as convenience and supermarket brands of choice for any new developments.”

In a new departure, as part of the new strategy, SPAR has launched a Next Gen Retailer Programme – an entrepreneurship initiative aimed at identifying and nurturing future retail leaders. This programme will support individuals in realising their retail ambitions and contribute to SPAR’s overall expansion and recruitment programme. Additionally, SPAR will work closely with retailers who have plans to open and operate multiple stores under a multi-site business model. BWG Foods, SPAR’s parent company, predicts that this model will become the most prosperous for independent retailing in the future.

In support of its ambitions for SPAR, BWG Foods also announced the appointment of Niamh Preston to the newly created position of Category & Innovation Director, where she will be responsible for driving the latest food innovations across SPAR, EUROSPAR and the wider BWG Foods group. Niamh previously held senior roles with Tesco group including Global Business Unit Director and Fresh Food Category Director prior to that. Most recently, Niamh was Chief Commercial Officer with Navi Group, parent company to the CarePlus and StayWell pharmacy groups.

A key element of SPAR’s plan to grow its retail sales will be an enhanced focus on fresh food for the On-The-Go and Take-Home categories, plus new premium coffee offerings.

The post SPAR Ireland Reveals Major New Strategy Following Record €1.3 billion Retail Sales in 2024 appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

SPAR has sponsored the European Athletics Championships since 1996, supported over 80 competitions over those 29 years and demonstrated our major commitment to facilitating healthy lifestyles through sport.

To celebrate its ongoing commitment to Irish athletics, SPAR is running a competition to win a VIP trip for two to the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn. SPAR and Sharlene are challenging Irish fans to “get moving” by going for a run while cheering on our sporting heroes during the Championships in Apeldoorn.

The campaign begins today (18 February), with Sharlene Mawdsley encouraging SPAR shoppers and the wider public to get moving and show some support for Irish athletics. To enter simply go for a run or jog of any distance, take a screenshot of your run on your running app of choice and post it to Instagram using #TeamSPAR.

The winner will be randomly selected from all entries on 28 February and, along with a friend, will be jetting off to Apeldoorn on a VIP 4-day trip courtesy of SPAR.

SPAR has also come on board as sponsor of RTÉ’s coverage of the European Athletics Indoor Championships for the duration of the event.

Speaking about the competition launch, Sharlene Mawdsley said: “It is always a great honour to represent Ireland on an international stage, the support the team gets from our fans is incredible. I’m delighted to have this opportunity to partner with SPAR on their campaign and encourage everyone to get more active while also celebrating Irish fans’ amazing commitment to supporting Irish athletes.”

Colin Donnelly, SPAR Sales Director, commented on the announcement: “SPAR has a long-standing tradition of supporting athletics both here in Ireland and internationally. We are proud to partner with Sharlene Mawdsley to promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

“This campaign is all about celebrating the dedication of Irish athletes and their incredible supporters and we can’t wait to see the Irish public lace up their running shoes and get involved for a chance to win this unforgettable experience.”

To find out more about thecompetition visit any SPAR store nationwide or log onto www.spar.ie or SPAR’s Instagram page:

The post Spar partners with olympian Sharlene Mawdsley appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

The post SPAR and EUROSPAR launch breast cancer public-awareness campaign appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.

Redevelopment focuses on customer convenience with larger SPAR store and more customer car parking 

Maxol has completed a significant re-development of Maxol Fortwilliam Service Station on the Antrim Road in Belfast following an investment of £1.9 million.

The six-month project has seen the large site reconfigured to create a forecourt and new convenience store to serve the local neighbourhood and commuters who use this main arterial route into Belfast City Centre. A total of 9 new jobs have been created for the local community following the re-development.

The development is part of a wider multi-million-pound five-year capital investment programme that Maxol is delivering across its growing network to meet the increasing demand for convenience-led forecourt services that include coffee, groceries and food-to-go.

Latest SPAR concept 

Maxol Fortwilliam is operated under license by Mark Nelson.  The new store has nearly doubled in size to 195 square meters and offers the latest SPAR concept. The number of grocery and chilled bays has increased significantly, allowing customers to shop for everyday grocery essentials including a much larger selection of fresh local produce, a wider range of dairy items, and a doubling of frozen food provision. A selection of ready-made meals completes the convenience-led offer.

Maxol has also introduced the latest food-to-go concepts. From breakfast through to lunchtime, a brand-new Delish Deli and self-serve Chicken Bar offers customers a delicious range of freshly prepared hot food to take away. Other new additions include an in-store bakery, offering a range of pastries and sweet treats alongside the popular Barista Bar coffee which has doubled to two units, to meet the increasing demand for a quick, quality coffee-on-the-go.

A new customer restroom has also been included within the store development.

New forecourt 

The newly expanded and reconfigured forecourt has two pump islands with pay-at-pump facilities for customers to fuel up and car parking has more than doubled to twenty-four spaces including two accessible parking bays for customer convenience.

Sustainable development 

Technology has been used throughout the development to implement Maxol’s sustainable forecourt design and to reduce the service station’s carbon footprint. Measures taken include the use of photovoltaic (solar) panels to cut electrical import requirements; the installation of LED lights throughout and adopting low energy CO2 refrigeration systems with doors fitted throughout the store. New signage highlights the sustainable features to customers.

Modern roadside retail 

Brian Donaldson, Chief Executive Officer of The Maxol Group said: “It’s exciting to see the latest example of modern roadside retail from Maxol. We’re delighted this latest investment creates nine new jobs and is another convenience-led service station that delivers for both the local community and commuters. Within our new and sustainably developed forecourt, we’ve created a food and convenience offer that ensures customers can grab-and-go breakfast or lunch from the Delish Deli, enjoy a barista-style coffee to take-away or they can do a top-up food shop for any meal occasion in our newly expanded SPAR store, which is packed with grocery essentials as well as drinks, snacks and treats.

“With our focus on ease and convenience for our customers, we’ve nearly trebled the car parking spaces available so there’s capacity even at the busiest times of the day. Quality advanced fuels complete the offer and we’re looking forward to welcoming our customers through our doors to enjoy bags more at Maxol Fortwilliam. I wish Mark and his dedicated staff every success.”

Sarah Halliday, Channel Sales Manager at Henderson Group which owns the SPAR franchise in Northern Ireland added: “Maxol SPAR Fortwilliam is a fantastic example of an independent retailer working with locally owned brands to bring the best products and services to their community.

“We have worked with Mark and the team at Maxol to produce a first class, modern forecourt that delivers for both the business and shoppers. This is evident in the range of fresh and locally sourced products supplied by Henderson Wholesale, alongside the introduction of our Delish deli and expansion of Barista Bar coffee to-go options for those on the move. Our latest in-store technology has been installed to enable efficient running of the business both from the back rooms to the shop floor, delivering a futureproof store for both Mark, his team and the local community. We wish Mark all the best with the new store.”

Maxol Fortwilliam also offers customers an ATM, air, water and vacuum services and operates   from 6am to midnight 7 days a week.

The post Maxol Fortwilliam opens following £1.9 million investment     appeared first on Ireland's Forecourt & Convenience Retailer.