THE crème de la crème of the north's independent retailers have been rewarded for offering an invaluable public service to customers at the height of the current Covid pandemic.
All the winners in the Independent Retailer Awards - promoted by Retail NI and the Irish News in association with Camelot - have now been presented with their certificates.
The initiative is unique in that there is no panel of judges, with all the winners being chosen wholly via a people's vote.
And this year saw a 300 per cent increase in the number of votes cast by Irish News readers, underlining the public’s passion and support for independent retailers and the burning desire to have a healthy independent retail sector.
The High Street of the Year award went to Newtownards, a town centre brimming with bustling independent retailers - and which was brought to a standstill when the award was announced.
Mayor Trevor Cummings and the town's Chamber of Commerce president Derek Wright were joined by a clutch of shop owners, MLAs and local dignitaries as its winning certificate was handed over by Retail NI chief executive Glyn Roberts.
He lavished glowing praise on retailers for demonstrating their commitment to the local community and offering an outstanding customer experience and innovative approach to retail.
The Community Covid Champion, which recognises an independent retailer who has gone above and beyond during the pandemic, went to O’Kane Meats in Claudy, established in 1988 by brothers Michael and Kieran O’Kane and whose motto is: "We pride ourselves on putting up our quality, not our prices".
Rory O'Kane said: "We're thrilled to be crowned overall winner of these awards, which was made possible by three key elements - firstly our products, which our customers love; secondly the customer service we provide, and lastly by our staff, who we can't thank enough for going above and beyond throughout these unprecedented times.
"Like every business in our community, we found Covid-19 a real challenge.
"At school, we learnt the lesson and then were given the test, but in business you are given the test and then learn the lesson.
"We believe being able to adapt quickly as a team was the key throughout these challenging times."
Rory added: "At O'Kane Meats we always strive for excellence, but we know excellence is a journey, not a destination."
Mr Roberts added: “O'Kane Meats, like all other Gold, Silver and Bronze-winning businesses, has played an invaluable public service at the height of the pandemic, ensuring many vulnerable members of our community and those without access to transport were able to purchase food and other vital products.
“In rural Northern Ireland and in many of its small towns and villages, these retailers were an absolute lifeline, and huge credit must go to their staff who put their own health at risk to ensure this vital community service remained at peak efficiency.”
Irish News marketing manager John Brolly said: “We were delighted to again partner with both Retail NI and Camelot to support these awards, and the fact that the votes cast more than tripled on last year clearly shows the crucial role played by our independent retailers and local high streets.”
