Sophie SPARkles with prestigious retail award

Independent SPAR retailer Sophie Towers has won a prestigious national retail award for her store in Burnley, SPAR Hillingdon.

Recognised as number one in the UK, Sophie won the ‘Responsible Retailing’ category in the prestigious Independent Achievers Award (IAA), which recognises the top 100 independent retailers in the UK.

Sophie said: “I am absolutely thrilled to have won this award! To be announced as the top independent responsible retailer in the UK is just fantastic and something that I am incredibly proud to have achieved.

“As an independent retailer, I feel that responsible retailing goes further than just making sure you have the right products on the shelves. Alongside all of the regulations we have to adhere to, I believe we also have a responsibility to ensure that customers feel happy and safe within our stores."

Sustainability is also a key part of the ‘Responsible Retailing’ award, and the judges were impressed with Sophie’s work to reduce her overall carbon footprint.

“As a retailer, I am very aware of sustainability and food waste. I have been working to reduce waste as much as possible and have been doing a lot of work to monitor and record stock levels so we can prevent waste from occurring.”

This is not the first time that Sophie has been recognised for a prestigious retail award. In 2014, she was awarded ‘Service in the Community’ by the Independent Achievers Academy (IAA), also shortlisted in the ‘Retail Innovation’ category. 

“My staff play a key part in ensuring that customers receive the right kind of support and I would like to say a big thank you to them. It is a real honour to receive this award. ”