RIA 2020 winner: Independent Community Retailer of the Year

The team has strong links with the local schools, community groups and local charities and makes excellent use of social media to engage with them, as well as to keep an eye out for ways to support local events. In 2019, the team held colouring competitions for local children and donated £1 per entry to Women’s Aid and Barnardo’s, with the event promoted across social media and the pictures displayed in-store.

In December of that year, a food bank was set up in the foyer of the store to support the Newry Helping the Homeless initiative. The store also builds a Santa’s Grotto as part of its annual Christmas Party in early December, which is broadcast live on local radio.

In 2020, the team worked with a wellness blogger to share ideas with followers about looking for sustainable alternatives when grocery shopping. Mulkerns also introduced a School Awareness Programme to help educate pupils about how to make healthy food choices.

Mulkerns supports the local Community Development Associations with its fundraisers by donating prizes and providing refreshments for events. It provides refreshments for local schools and invites school children to visit the store to learn about where their food comes from. The team also runs a free delivery service if schools need groceries.

The judging panel felt this was a “wonderful example of a community store”, with one judge saying: “It is one of the best stores I have ever had the privilege to judge.” Another judge commended the “brilliant” initiatives with local school children. One called the store “faultless”, adding: “It’s a shining example of how a business can be part of the community from which it derives its trade and people.”