PELYNT STORE WINS NEIGHBOURHOOD SHOP OF THE YEAR AWARD

BEST IN THE WEST
A SPAR store in Pelynt, Cornwall, has scooped the top national prize in the prestigious Robert Wiseman Dairies ‘Neighbourhood Shop of the Year’ Awards. Paul and Sophie Boxall, who run the SPAR store and Post Office in Jubilee Hill, also won one of three “New Up and Coming Retail Star” awards at the ceremony as well.

It is the third year in a row that a West Country SPAR store has won the Neighbourhood Shop of the Year Award. In 2007, the award went to Chris and Sue Sharrinton at Helston, and last year it was won by the SPAR store at Carnon Downs near Truro.
The Robert Wiseman Dairies awards recognise excellence across the convenience retail sector and provide an opportunity for local communities to thank the stores that serve them with a nomination.
Mystery shoppers visited regional finalists throughout the UK during the autumn to determine which stores went through to the National Final at the Cameron House Hotel by Loch Lomond.
Paul and Sophie’s store is one of 300 serviced by Appleby Westward, SPAR’s regional distribution centre in the south west. Marketing Director John Hart said: “We are thrilled that this prestigious award has been won by one of our West Country stores for the third year running.
“Paul and Sophie are deserving winners. The judging process was rigorous and adopted strict criteria including friendliness of staff, merchandising and product range.”
The Pelynt store enjoys a long family connection stretching back 80 years when Sam Harvey and his daughter Violet took over the running of a small Post Office near the current store. In the late 1960’s, Violet’s daughter Molly and her husband Fernley built a shop next door to the Post Office and set up a small village convenience store. Fernley and Molly switched to SPAR nearly 30 years ago and are still involved in the store but the day-to-day running is now in the hands of youngest son Paul and his wife Sophie.

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