The real stars of retail

Despite only being launched last year, the SLR Above & Beyond Awards have already carved out a very worthy and worthwhile niche in the local retailing calendar in Scotland.

We created them to give us the chance to shine a light on all of those shopfloor superstars that routinely go above and beyond the ordinary call of duty but rarely get much in the way of recognition.

Having been in this industry for decades, it’s very rare that I walk into an event and recognise just about no-one. It’s a very uplifting and healthy thing to do, I’ve found. Last month’s Above and Beyond Awards saw a roomful of unsung local heroes gather to have their remarkable actions recognised – and also to hear the stories behind why everyone else in the room was there too.

It can get emotional. You could hear a pin drop when we read out the tale of how young Salman Javed put his defibrillator training to very good use when a customer collapsed outside his parent’s Spar store in Stenhousemuir. He jumped into action, grabbed the defibrillator that’s located outside the store and, quite literally, saved the man’s life.

It was similarly silent when we learned of another hero, Alix Kegg of Londis Solo Convenience in Baillieston. Alix was quick to take control of the situation when a local lady fell and gave herself a very serious head injury outside the store. An ambulance had been called but was still a long way off – so Alix calmly took matters in hand, gave the lady vital first aid and blankets, shooed away onlookers then found the lady’s phone and called her husband, before arranging for someone to bring him to the scene.

Those are just two of the stories we heard this year and there were many more like them so I would urge you to read them all in this month’s cover story. They will leave you in no doubt that we work in a remarkable industry full of unbelievable people doing outstanding things. People are indeed any business’s biggest asset and people are what make the local retailing sector so very special.

Antony Begley, Publishing Director, SLR