Henderson Retail acquires two indie SPAR stores

Henderson Retail has announced the acquisition of two neighbourhood SPAR stores in recent weeks, SPAR Barbican in Annalong and SPAR Anderson Gardens in Omagh.

The Annalong premises has been operated by Simon Heenan and his family for 30 years, while Anderson Gardens has been owned by Jimmy and Una McGirr for the past 27 years.

It brings the total number of SPAR and EUROSPAR stores operated by the company in Northern Ireland to 106, while a significant number of projects by Henderson Retail has also seen the expansion and renovation of stores throughout NI in recent months.

At The Barbican, all 42 staff from the local community will be retained by Henderson Retail, alongside store manager, Derek McAllen and post office manager, Mark Clerkin.

The Barbican has been run by Simon Heenan and his family since 1993 and rebranded to a SPAR in 2021. Since its rebrand, the new-look store has provided even more fresh groceries from local suppliers plus SPAR NI’s own-brand ranges for shoppers, alongside a host of value deals and seasonal campaigns. The post office, which has been managed by Mark Clerkin since 2007, will remain in-store and provide everyday essential services for the area.

Kieran McGirr (left) assistant manager at SPAR Anderson Gardens, Jimmy and Una McGirr (centre) and Justine and Kelly McGirr (right), customer advisors at SPAR Anderson Gardens are pictured with Jeremy Mitten, area manager with Henderson Retail (second left).

All 33 staff have also been retained at SPAR Anderson Gardens, which has recently benefitted from an investment by the retailer to expand the store and its services, resulting in an additional five new jobs for the local area.

Mark McCammond, retail director at Henderson Group commented; “Both Simon, Jimmy and Una and their families have grown successful businesses with the Barbican store in Annalong and SPAR Anderson Gardens, providing a fantastic opportunity for us to grow the SPAR brand upon their already solid foundations.

“These latest acquisitions bring our total number of Henderson Retail operated stores in Northern Ireland to 106, while we have invested substantially this year in renovating and refreshing many of our neighbourhood stores to provide even more locally sourced fresh foods and essentials for our shoppers.”

Recent weeks have also seen the opening of Henderson Retail’s EUROSPAR Knocklynn Road, Coleraine’s first ever EUROSPAR supermarket, which has replaced the SPAR which stood on the same site for over 20 years. The all-new premises stands as a significant investment from the retailer to provide even more value, products and services for the local community.