Omagh service station wins prestigious award in London

McCullagh’s Classic Service Station in Omagh has been hailed as a lifeline by judges of the prestigious Retail Industry Awards, where the store recently bagged the Independent Forecourt Retailer of the Year award during a ceremony in London.

The McCullagh Family has been running the busy forecourt for 30 years. Owners Jonathan and Terry McCullagh were praised by the judges for their adjustments during the COVID-19 pandemic, pivoting to respond to stock availability and changing shopper demands and buying habits. The judges were also impressed by McCullagh’s innovation, including their integrated food-to-go offering, which is available from open until close which they said gave the store “a competitive edge against other local outlets”.

McCullagh’s Classic Service Station also walked away with a highly commended in the Independent Retailer of the Year (3,001 sq. ft – 6,000 sq. ft) category on the night. The popular store and forecourt’s wins were part of a record-breaking year with stores and individuals from SPAR and EUROSPAR picking up 16 wins overall against some top UK-wide competition.

Terry McCullagh commented, “We are delighted with these awards especially as we are celebrating 30 years in business this year. To achieve recognition as UK Forecourt Retailer of the Year is something we are extremely proud of for our family-run business. We are especially grateful to our amazing team of staff who make awards like this possible and to the loyal support of all our customers over the years.”

Paddy Doody, Sales and Marketing Director at Henderson Group says this is the biggest collective win for retailers at the Retail Industry Awards so far; “To be able to go to London and see our stores being recognised on a national platform for the excellence they bring to their communities, day in, day out, is fantastic.

“We are incredibly proud of our stores and their teams who are the ultimate competition, not only in their local markets but on a national and international retailing platform. They are consistent in their innovation and service and we send them huge congratulations for bringing home some of the top awards.”

The Retail Industry Award winners were selected by a panel of esteemed and experienced names in the industry.

The Awards are a celebration of all that is great about the UK grocery retail sector. The 2022 winners were revealed at a gala ball ceremony at The Brewery in London on 20 September 2022.