An independent county Armagh supermarket, which has been serving its community for 125 years, has picked up a national award at the Retail Industry Awards at the prestigious Grosvenor House Hotel, London.
Emerson’s Supermarket, in the heart of Armagh city centre, picked up the Most Sustainable Independent Retailer of the Year accolade at what is now referred to as the ‘Oscars’ of the grocery industry.
The event, which rewards excellence and outstanding achievements across a variety of different categories, also saw Emerson’s get highly commended in the Drinks Retailer of the Year category for The Wine Store.
Owner Gavin Emerson, who attended the event in Mayfair, said: “This has been an amazing year for Emerson’s Supermarket. We have finished rolling out our £2million investment, we have relocated Uluru Bar & Grill under our roof and the city’s Post Office is also in store.
Gavin Emerson of Emersons Supermarket picking up the award in London
“To win this award and, to be ‘highly commended’ for The Wine Store, is testament to the teams working in each department in the store.
“We are constantly seeking ways to enhance our customer offering so it was appropriate for us to let our customers know the green initiatives we have running through all elements of the store.
“We were able to demonstrate to the judging panel that we source our energy from renewable sources, we strive to source our produce as locally as possible to reduce food miles, we recycle 100 per cent of our cardboard 100 per cent of our cardboard back to the mills which equates to 100 tonnes per annum.
“We use LED lighting throughout and we have our own heat recovery system which is great for efficient water usage.
“Furthermore, all waste food which is beyond human consumption is sent to a local farmer.”
Mr Emerson added: “Supermarkets have a responsibility to be as green as possible. In the grand scheme of things we are one supermarket in one town in Northern Ireland but that makes it even more important for us to let people know we care about our environment.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Retail Industry Awards and is the only time of year when the whole UK retail industry gets together to recognise and reward the smallest independent retailers alongside the largest supermarket groups.
