It was close but no cigar for our Woodlands Local store at the national final of Imperial Tobacco’s debut series of Ignite awards.
The store had picked up the ‘Success Story of the Year’ gong at the Scottish final in June, but came up short in Birmingham on September 11th where Sean’s News from the Bristol area grabbed the national crown.
The awards ceremony was preceded with a packed expo, attended by members of the independent trade. There was a wide range of stands where attendees interacted with Imperial brands like Player’s Crushball and Gold Leaf, while the keynote speaker was Sahar Hashemi, co-founder of the Coffee Republic chain.
Meanwhile, Imperial Tobacco teams engaged around key issues including best practice, merchandising and the illicit tobacco trade. Retailers were also invited to visit a realistic mock-up of the interior of a corner shop, complete with a display unit containing only standardised packs, and discuss the potential new legislation with our resident experts.
Sophie Hogg, Head of Sales & Marketing Operations at Imperial Tobacco commented: “The Ignite expo and national final have proved not only a huge success in recognising and celebrating the achievements of the very best retailers, but also in consolidating our existing relationship with the independent trade. This event rounds off an amazing first twenty months for the scheme.”
