A Gala Retail convenience store from County Waterford has been awarded the Gala Award for excellence in retail at the 2023 Gala Annual Conference, which took place at The Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry.
The conference marked a celebration of 25 years in business for the Gala Retail Group, marking the achievements of the Group and its retailers.
Presented to stores that are deemed ‘outstanding’ following a comprehensive and independent assessment process, the Gala Excellence Awards recognise quality in retailing throughout the Gala Group.
The Waterford store that received the Gala Excellence Awards at the event was Hennessy’s Gala, Kilmeaden. Store Manager, Stephanie Sweeney was also awarded ‘2023 Store Manager of the Year’ at the evening reception.
Speaking at the morning awards, CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond, congratulated the winning store for their continuous dedication and excellence in retailing:
“The Gala Excellence awards recognise excellence in retailing across the entire Gala Group and we offer our congratulations to the Waterford store who have been recognised as outstanding in the field of convenience retailing, especially in the Gala Group’s 25th year in business, " he said.
“Stephanie and the wider team at Hennessy’s Gala provide a fantastic service to their customers, day in, day out and we wish them, and all stores across the wider group, a successful year ahead and look forward to celebrating their future successes.’’
The Gala Excellence awards kicked off the 2023 Gala conference which brought together Gala retailers, wholesalers and suppliers for a celebration of the Gala Group’s performance and an overview of plans for the future, as well as an action packed few days of activities including the supplier trade fair. The group was also joined for the day by elite level football coach/manager, Lisa Fallon and Irish Broadcaster, Ivan Yates. An evening awards ceremony followed and was MC’d by television presenter Lucy Kennedy with Irish Comedian, Mario Rosenstock providing entertainment.
Reflecting on the year, Mr. Desmond spoke about the success of the Gala Group’s marketing activities and partnerships, including its award-winning partnership with Special Olympics Ireland, now in its eight year, and Ireland’s popular children’s summer camp, Starcamp.
As one of the most progressive convenience groups in Ireland, Gala stores benefit from national expertise, coupled with local wholesaler support and a store model, which ensures that every Gala store is designed to deliver to its local community’s requirements.
