Spar Castlederg, which opened in September 1995 with 25 employees, now employs 72 people from the local area in the 7,159 sq.ft. superstore, following a major refurbishment in 2021, making it the largest Spar store in the UK.
To celebrate the milestone, earlier this month the store gave away £900, giving thirty shoppers the opportunity to win £30 across three days. Shoppers also availed of the anniversary flash sale which saw popular products discounted, as well as special anniversary offers.
The family’s retailing legacy began with the opening of their first store in 1979, Hamilton’s Spar, Newtownstewart and 16 years later, in 1995, Spar Castlederg opened its doors, followed by their Tamlaght Road Spar in 1998.
The pair’s son David owns four of his own stores in Fermanagh and daughter Louise owns Joe’s Chippy in Sion Mills. Their daughter Alison joined the family business full time in 2018.
Charlie said: “We’re incredibly proud of our local suppliers here in Northern Ireland, and we’re passionate about sharing that with our shoppers, and now with the next generation. As a local business, it’s so important to make a positive impact, not just in our store, but throughout the community and we know this is important to our shoppers too.”
Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group which owns the Spar brand in Northern Ireland, added: “Charlie and Ruth’s family business is a perfect example of evolving to meet your shoppers’ needs, all while supporting their local community.”
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