Experienced retailers Charlie and Ruth Hamilton have strengthened their footprint across the Omagh area in Northern Ireland this week, with the official opening of the all-new SPAR Castlederg.
The store, opened in 1995, has undergone a huge refurbishment to become a fresh food superstore – and the largest SPAR in the UK – that will provide the local community with a one-stop-shop for fresh, locally sourced products, big brand names and food-to-go, bringing a whole new shopping experience to the town.
From humble beginnings in 1979 with Hamilton’s SPAR, Newtownstewart, the family first expanded to Castlederg 16 years later, followed by their Tamlaght Road SPAR in 1998.
They have grown to be trusted and highly respected retailers within their local community, and among their industry throughout Ireland and the UK. Charlie and Ruth’s son, David has branched out with three of his own stores in Fermanagh, and their daughter owns Joe’s Chippy in Sion Mills.
SPAR Castlederg, managed by Cherry Keatley, now stands as an over 6,000 sq. ft superstore, and which has provided opportunity for 15 new jobs in the area.
“Over the past couple of years, our local shoppers’ habits have changed, and we are adapting alongside them to ensure we’re meeting their needs. They don’t want to have to travel out of town, they want to have a choice of fresh and local groceries on their doorsteps, and where they can pop in to every few days,” Charlie Hamilton commented.
“We have around ten ‘hyper local’ suppliers, from H&H Bakery to Cavanagh Eggs, alongside James Beatty Potatoes and McGavigan Meats. Keeping our food miles down and supporting our local suppliers provides even more local job security, which is important to us and our shoppers, who can always trust us to provide local on our shelves.”
The locality doesn’t stop at the mid-Ulster suppliers, but from across Northern Ireland as the store also has bays of own-brand products sourced by Henderson Wholesale, from The Greengrocer and SPAR enjoy local.
Charlie continued: “We are a convenient stop for those on their lunch hour or passing through for that important morning coffee, so we have upgraded to the all-new Barista Bar machines. We have two in-store and they provide the usual menu of cappuccinos, lattes, americanos and tea as well as the new flat white and luxury hot chocolate.”
The Barista Bar machines complement the new food-to-go offering of hot and cold breakfast, lunch and dinner options including a self-serve salad bar, pre-packed and freshly made sandwiches plus a large selection of homemade meals from the team on-site.
Hamilton’s Butchery provides a fantastic range of fresh meat, chicken, duck and fish in-store from an all new, extended counter, with the team made up of two full time butchers and two assistants, providing recipe ideas and advice to shoppers throughout the day.
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 community retailing, and evolving to meet your shoppers growing needs. Starting as a small SPAR store, the Castlederg outlet now sits as a community superstore providing an unrivalled range of locally sourced fresh foods at value prices.
“The amenities and services are provided in a safe and convenient outlet for shoppers, easily accessed thanks to the store’s 65-space car park that sits alongside the 4-pump STAR forecourt. This is a substantial investment in the local community by Charlie and Ruth and will enhance the area. Congratulations to the whole team!”
The support for local extends beyond the groceries, with the Castlederg team committing to raise £5,000 for charity in the next 12 months, which will be donated to Air Ambulance NI and the NSPCC. Their Halloween festivities gave the campaign a great start, with over £1,000 raised towards the total already.
Charlie concluded: “It’s been an honour to serve our local community for the past 42 years. We are so proud to open our new, flagship store in Castlederg and hope to continue to bring top choice and value to our shoppers and be famous for fresh in the area by supporting our local farmers and suppliers. We’ll be going back to our roots and rebuilding the Newtownstewart store next to ensure we’re providing all our communities with their essentials, on their doorstep.
“None of this would be possible without the dedication of our team, our new recruits and of course, the support of my wife Ruth and our children.”
Hamilton’s SPAR Castlederg is open 7am to 11pm, Monday – Sunday.
Legal tobacco sales have nearly halved since 2021 despite little change in the number of smokers, a recent report has shown, highlighting the scale of “out of control” illegally smuggled tobacco in the UK.
The number of cigarettes bought on the legal market fell by 45.5 per cent between 2021 and 2024 while over the same period the number of smokers declined by just 0.5 per cent.
According to the Institute of Economic Affairs, the only plausible explanation for this can be a rapid growth in tobacco sales on the black market.
Dr Christopher Snowdon said, "Official figures recently published by HMRC indicate a huge rise in illicit tobacco sales in the UK since 2021.
"The number of duty-paid cigarettes sold plummeted from 23.6 billion in 2021 to 13.2 billion in 2024, a decline of 44.4 per cent. In the same period, sales of duty-paid hand rolling tobacco (HRT) have dropped from 8.6 million kilograms to 4.5 million kilograms, a decline of 47.6 per cent.
"Overall, the number of cigarettes bought on the legal market fell by 45.5 per cent between 2021 and 2024.
"This unprecedented decline in legal tobacco sales occurred despite the number of smokers falling only modestly. When population growth is taken into account, the number of smokers declined by just 0.5 percentage points between 2021 and 2024, a relative decline of 5 per cent.
"Nor can the decline in legal sales be explained by smokers consuming fewer cigarettes. Research published last year found that daily cigarette consumption has remained stable since 2020 at around 10.5 cigarettes per smoker on average.”
Dr Snowden added, “The only plausible explanation for the collapse in legal tobacco sales is that there has been rapid growth in tobacco sales on the black market.
“These figures should act as a wake-up call to the government. Official estimates of the tobacco tax gap lack all credibility. It is clear that the illicit trade in Britain is very large and has grown dramatically since 2021.”
Grocers are set to benefit on Mother's Day this year as more consumers are expected to have a special meal at home, states a recent report, adding that spending on Mother’s Day is set to reach £2.4 billion in 2025.
According to GlobalData Retail Mother’s Day Intentions Report 2025, the proportion of UK consumers planning to purchase at least one item for Mother’s Day 2025 has risen to 56.4 per cent, a 2.9ppt increase on 2024.
Grocers will benefit from decreased interest in takeaways and dining out this year. 17.5 per cent of Mother’s Day shoppers plan to have a special meal at home with mum, a 3.1ppt increase on 2024.
Dine-in options are crucial, given that Mother’s Day shoppers intend to spend £52.32 on average on food and drink for the event. There will be plenty of room in consumers’ budgets to trade up to premium ranges.
Furthermore, consumers plan to spend £17.43 more on their mums than last year, resulting in an average spend of £125.30. Gifting will be the most popular expense this year, with categories such as clothing, fine jewellery and watches and health and beauty among the most sought-after.
Eleanor Simpson-Gould, Senior Retail Analyst at GlobalData, comments, “Retailers should offer personalised gifting options, including customised clothing, bespoke jewellery pieces, and curated beauty gift sets.
"Providing unique and thoughtful gifts will appeal to the customers looking to make a special gesture on Mother's Day. Additionally, retailers must enhance the shopping experience by offering gift-wrapping services and convenient delivery options to make the process seamless for shoppers.”
Simpson-Gould adds. “The UK consumers are prioritising quality time at home with their mums this Mother’s Day, focusing on special meals, presenting a lucrative opportunity for grocers.
"Upselling opportunities include luxury wines, champagnes, confectionery, and premium meats, and grocers must focus on catering to these preferences to maximise sales potential.”
According to the report, 62.5 per cent of Gen Z consumers agree that “retailers do not do enough to provide gift inspiration.” This sentiment is far higher than that of their cohorts. Almost half of this age group plan to spend more on Mother’s Day this year.
Simpson-Gould concludes, “Retailers must engage with Gen Z shoppers on key social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram to promote affordable Mother’s Day gift ideas, offering exclusive discounts and engaging content to attract budget-conscious shoppers.
"Next-day delivery options will be a significant draw for this age group. Given that 63.8 per cent of Gen Z shoppers agree they ‘tend to leave Mother’s Day shopping until the very last minute’ online retailers offering expedited delivery stand to benefit the most from the expenditure ahead of the event.”
Staff at a Bottesford store were threatened with a hammer during a brazen robbery last week, Leicestershire Police said.
The incident, which occurred just after 10:30 am on 12 March, saw a male suspect enter a shop on Grantham Road and brandish the weapon before jumping over the counter. He then proceeded to steal a quantity of cigarettes before fleeing the scene in a silver Volkswagen Tiguan.
No staff members were injured during the ordeal, police confirmed.
Detective Constable Gareth Pallister, leading the investigation, has appealed for witnesses and information.
“While we've already spoken to several people about this incident, I'm appealing to the wider public to identify the person responsible,” Pallister said.
“I'm particularly keen to speak to anyone who saw the silver Volkswagen around the time it happened – and particularly if you have any doorbell, CCTV or dashcam footage. Anything you're able to provide could assist the investigation.”
This violent incident underscores the growing threat faced by retail staff, a trend highlighted in the recently released 2025 ACS Crime Report.
The report, published last week by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), revealed a record level of theft against convenience store retailers, with an estimated 6.2 million shop theft incidents in the past year, up from 5.6 million the year before.
The report also detailed over 59,000 incidents of violence and 1.2 million instances of verbal abuse in the sector.
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Vape products are displayed for sale on October 27, 2024 in London, England
Heavily criticising the upcoming disposable vape ban, traders in Wes Streeting's constituency of Ilford North have raised the concern that the new law will hurt small businesses and will backfire badly as the product will be available illegally even after the ban.
According to a recent survey by We Vape, 95 per cent of UK traders believe the ban will hurt small businesses.
Some 80 per cent also believe shopkeepers will continue to sell illegal vapes after the disposables ban is enforced on June 1 and certain flavours are prohibited as part of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill currently working its way through parliament.
The survey, commissioned by campaign group We Vape, targeted over 800 independent traders and franchises via industry and trade fair WhatsApp groups to gather their views on the forthcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill and its implications for small businesses.
The poll showed 98 per cent did not support a ban on e-liquid flavours, while 57 per cent knew of shops already selling illegal products.
Business owners were asked 'with the introduction of a vape tax and proposed flavour restrictions, do you think there will be less people visiting your shop to buy vapes?', with 93 per cent answering 'yes'.
The poll also revealed 97 per cent thought restricting vapes would lead to an increase in cigarette use. When asked if 'vapers will try and source illegal vapes as a result of the proposed restrictions?', 96 per cent said yes.
With 167 company responses, the data is considered the most comprehensive retailer research of its kind into government plans to create a smoke-free generation.
Gurdeep Chahal, owner of Somerville Convenience Store, said the disposable vape ban could force his shop to close.
"The bill is only going to make the problem of illicit products worse here and I can't believe my own MP is pushing something that could put me out of business," reported quoted Chahal as saying.
"It's handing the sale of cigarettes to criminals and is going to make it harder for my customers to move to smoke-free products.'
After 45 years of dedicated service to the Brookeborough community, independent retailer Benny McClave is retiring from his beloved Nisa store.
A fixture of the village in Northern Ireland, ‘Benny’s Shop’ has been more than just a convenience store - it has been a cornerstone of the community, a place where friendships were formed, and countless memories were made.
Originally from Roslea, Benny took over the shop in 1978 and spent a year renovating it before opening in 1979. Over the years, the store evolved through different fascias before joining Nisa, but its commitment to the local community never wavered.
Reflecting on his time behind the counter, Benny said: “It took me a long time to get to know people and their faces, and I suppose it took them a long time to get to know me too.”
Throughout his career, Benny has been much more than a retailer. He has been a steadfast supporter of local causes, regularly donating to schools and community projects.
One of his most cherished contributions was organising Santa’s annual visit to the store, a tradition that brought joy to generations of children.
With Santa arriving on a trailer to hand out gifts, and adults treated to a warm bowl of soup, it became a highlight of the festive season. Even after the disruption caused by COVID-19, Benny’s legacy endured, with the local playgroup taking on the responsibility of continuing the tradition.
Benny, who handed over the store on Friday, 7 March 2025, acknowledged that saying goodbye was not easy.
“Of course, I will miss it,” he said. “I’ll miss the company and the pleasure of serving the customers. It’s been a lifetime - 45 years - I’m bound to miss it.”
Nigel Maxwell, Regional Retail Manager in Northern Ireland for Nisa, paid tribute to Benny’s incredible contribution: “Benny is the definition of a true community retailer.
"For 45 years, he has served Brookeborough with dedication, kindness, and a wonderful sense of humour. His generosity and commitment to local causes have made a lasting impact, and he will be greatly missed by customers, colleagues, and the wider Nisa family.
"We wish him all the best in his well-earned retirement. Although Benny is stepping away from the shop, he and his family will remain in Brookeborough, a place he fondly refers to as home.
"As he hands over the reins, the entire community celebrates the remarkable career of a man who truly made a difference.