Retailer scoops top cash prize in ‘Win-Win’ promotion to help fund his store upgrade

Kandasamy Mugunthan, who runs Chart Downs News  in Dorking, Surrey, has also won £25,000  for the charity of his choice.

Four other retailers have also received cash prizes for their stores and their chosen charities in the competition which was only open to independent operators.

Mugunthan has owned the store for just over a year and had been planning a full upgrade which he will now be able to afford. “It’s amazing to win this prize and the timing couldn’t be any better.

“We’ve been planning a full refurbishment since March, but because of Covid-19 we haven’t been able to get it started. This prize will pay for most of that which is great.

“We’re now planning to start the refurb in two weeks’ time.” Mugunthan found the winning ticket in  a case of Curly Wurly that he bought from Booker in Redhill, Surrey, in September.

He has donated £25,000 to Mannar Welfare Association UK, a charity that provides relief to people affected by the war in the Mannar region of northern Sri Lanka.

The Win-Win competition offered independent retailers the chance to win prizes totalling £140,000 by finding special golden tickets inside cases of participating Mondelēz products.

“It’s fantastic to see our Win-Win competition won by a forward-looking independent retailer who will use the cash prize to improve his store for his customers,” said Susan Nash, trade communicationsmanager for Mondelēz International.

“It’s also great that so many worthy charities, close to the hearts of local retailers, will benefit from their share of the prizes.”

Four retailers also received prizes of £2,500 for their stores and £2,500 for their chosen charity. Keval   Patel, of Dillon’s Convenience Store in Southend, Essex, nominated a local charity for the cash reward.

Bay Bashir, of GoLocal Fleet Stores Convenience in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, also passed on half of the cash to a local community charity.

The two other winning retailers were Srisarvendran Thedchanamoorthy of London Stores, Bognor Regis, West Sussex and Dickson Warnakulasuriya Kurera of Huncote News, Leicester, East Midlands.