TOPAZ was awarded the Insight NACS 2011 International Convenience Retailer of the Year Award at a gala dinner last night in London. This award represents a major milestone in the history of the company and is an acknowledgement by industry peers from across Europe that it transforms the service experience for its consumers.

TOPAZ beat off stiff competition from across Europe and included notable competitors such as LS travel retail from France, Morrisons M-local from the UK, Reitan Servicehandel Shell/7-Eleven from Norway, Sourced Market, St Pancras International, also from the UK.
Don Longo, editor in chief Convenience Store News, summed up the overall sentiment among the judges. “[It] wasn’t easy to separate them. Great entries,” he said.

Stephanie Rice, founder of Rice Retail Marketing, agreed. “Wow – what a list of fantastic entries. It has been really hard to choose a shortlist,” she said. Ramon Kuijpers, international key accounts manager at Award sponsor, Imperial Tobacco; and a judge, said: “The top convenience retailers truly bring their format to life. They strongly appeal to the demanding shopper needs, providing them with high service, great quality and a differentiated offer for acceptable prices,” he said.

“Despite the economic downturn, this results in impressive sales growth figures. Sustainable growth is secured as they stick to their format’s core values, further strengthen their involvement in the local community and put great effort in continuing their staff development.” Topaz impressed judges for its commitment to its people and the community.

The new motorway design was considered very dynamic and well executed; and really looked after the dashboard diner, they said.

“Topaz appeared to be an innovation leader for the convenience channel; through the integration and use of technology across multiple platforms, from pay at the pump to social media and smart phones apps,” said Joe Bona, president retail division at CBX.

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