Sisters invest £620,000 as new owners of Northern Ireland community store

The new owners of Spar Abbots Cross in Newtownabbey have officially reopened the store after a nine week refurbishment, extension and full refit of the store.

Investing £620,000 into the business, new owners and sisters Becky and Lucy McCammond have also created four new jobs for the local area, bringing the team to a total of 14 people.

The store reopened with the shop floor extension allowing the McCammonds to double the range of fresh and locally sourced products and produce available for shoppers. The new Spar Bakery will also see fresh bakes daily from new local suppliers including McErlain’s Bakery, French Village, Slemish Bakery and Patton’s Bakery, alongside the delicious signature fresh cream range from Spar.

The refurbished store also welcomes a new Delish Grab and Go hot food counter, a butchery range from Mayfield Village butchers, an Ice Budz slushie machine and The National Lottery, as well as EVRI parcel service soon to be available in store. The Post Office has been relocated in-store to provide all services vital to the local community.

Ensuring the store remains at the heart of its neighbourhood, Becky and Lucy are committed to supporting local schools, community groups and a number of local charities. The store recently made a donation of over £200 to local charity Angel Wishes, which supports children in Northern Ireland with cancer related conditions. The team also makes ongoing donations to their local foodbank, Trussell Trust, while supporting Abbots Cross Primary School’s annual sports days.

The team also took part in the Marie Curie Blooming Great Summer and is creating plans to develop their charity support and community involvement further in the coming months.

Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group, new store owners Lucy and Becky McCammond, with Cali McCammond, Aaron Mcahon, sales project manager and Arlene Simmons, business development manager

The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) remains in place after the refurb, installed outside the store and available for the community 24/7, providing essential access to potentially lifesaving equipment even when the store is not open to the residential area.

Lucy said: “This store has always been a hub in the local community, so this is something that is so important for Becky and I to continue. Not only has the shopping experience vastly improved but the store has been redesigned to more than meet the demands of the local community, providing everyday essentials and much more on shoppers’ doorsteps.

“We are really proud to bring such a variety of options for our shoppers, including a huge expansion of the fresh and local products, the new Spar bakery products, the new hot food-to-go counter and local butchery range, all of which brings more convenience under one roof.

“We have made significant efforts in the sustainability of the new look store with the installation of energy saving refrigeration and lighting. We have also made major investments into the latest retail technology to make the shopping experience as seamless as possible for shoppers and bring new efficiencies for our staff. This includes the addition of Electronic Shelf Edge Labels, Glory cash management, which means zero handling of cash by staff, and a choice between self and serviced checkouts.

The store officially reopened with the shop floor extension, welcoming a new Delish Grab and Go hot food counter, a butchery range from Mayfield Village butchers, an Ice Budz slushie machine and the Post Office has been relocated in-store to provide all services vital to the local community

“It has been great to welcome four new team members as we start our new roles as store owners, as well as being able to support the existing and long serving team members at Spar Abbots Cross. We are honoured to be the new owners of Spar Abbots Cross and we are looking forward to what the future holds for this store.”

Paddy Doody, sales and marketing director at Henderson Group, added: “We are delighted to welcome Becky and Lucy as new retail partners under the Spar brand. We have invested with the retailers to provide a new and improved shopping experience for the local community in Newtownabbey, which recognises our ambitions to continue to invest in independent estate across Northern Ireland.

“Becky and Lucy are the perfect example of the next generation of independent retailers working with us to grow the Spar brand to bring even more value to shoppers with our locally sourced and own-brand products, and a continued commitment to regular deals on high demand every day essentials.”