Mayo stores recognised for excellence in retailing by Gala Retail

The 2022 Gala Retail B.E.S.T. Awards took place this week, where six Gala Retail stores from throughout Mayo were recognised for excellence in retailing.

The awards ceremony took place in the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, following the annual Gala Retail conference and trade fair.

A regular fixture at the annual Gala conference, the B.E.S.T. Awards are presented to Gala Group stores that are deemed ‘outstanding’ following a comprehensive and independent assessment process under the Gala Business Excellence Standards Tool (B.E.S.T.) programme. The conference and awards ceremony were MC’d by television presenter Lucy Kennedy, who also presented the awards to winners on the night.

The Mayo stores that received Gala B.E.S.T. Awards at the event were: Gala Louisburgh, McGloin's Gala Foxford, Walsh's Gala Kiltimagh, Gala Ballina, Mulhern's Gala Crossmolina and Coyle's Gala Belmullet.

Speaking at the awards, the CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond, congratulated the winning stores for their continuous dedication and excellence in retailing.

He said: “The Gala Group is thrilled to be back for our first in-person conference and B.E.S.T. Awards since 2019 and to have the opportunity to celebrate our Mayo retailers for all of the hard work and effort that is made daily to ensure that their stores continue to go the extra mile for Gala customers.

“The Gala B.E.S.T. Awards recognise excellence in retailing across the entire Gala Group of stores and after a particularly challenging couple of years, now more than ever, our retailers deserve to be recognised for their service to the local community and their continued commitment to meeting the ever-changing needs of their consumers.

“We offer our congratulations to all of the Mayo stores who have been recognised as outstanding in the field of convenience retailing and wish all our award winners from Mayo another successful year and look forward to celebrating their future successes.’’

With a theme of ‘Grow as One’, the 2022 Gala conference brought together Gala retailers, wholesalers and suppliers for a celebration of the 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, group activities and the Gala B.E.S.T. Awards.

Mr. Desmond spoke about the success of the Gala Group’s marketing activities and partnerships, including its award-winning partnership with Special Olympics Ireland and the upcoming Gala Retail Inspiration Awards, which celebrate those who have demonstrated a spirit of compassion in their community. The Gala Retail Inspiration Awards will see a winner selected from every county, with €26,000 worth of prizes (€1,000 hotel getaway gifts) being awarded to every county winner.

To find out more about Gala Retail, visit www.gala.ie.