Off-trade

OFF-TRADE RETAILER OF THE YEAR

NISA GREENS OF ELLON

In a standout year for alcohol sales, Nisa Greens of Ellon stood out more than most by creating a fantastic shopping experience and offering an outstanding range.

The last year or so has been a challenging one, but opportunities have presented themselves for retailers willing to grasp them. Among the most striking of these was in alcohol sales, which bloomed under lockdown.

Many retailers did a great job of meeting that growing demand but the judges felt that Nisa Greens of Ellon rose above the rest when it came to understanding the new normal and delivering what shoppers were looking for. Harris Aslam’s store was recognised by the judges for the immaculate general standards of the store and for its heroic achievements during the pandemic. The judges noted that “there are locally, regionally and nationally sourced Scottish products available to the store’s customers in virtually every product category including gins, beers and whiskies”. SLR Sales & Marketing Director Helen Lyons commented: “I think we all understand how important alcohol sales have become over the last 18 months with more people based at home and more free time available, coupled with an inability to use hospitality venues. Harris and his team responded to this opportunity in style and took an already outstanding section and made it even better.

“Effectively a store within a store, the alcohol section offers something for everyone, including many locally produced beers, gins and more. “By buying products from local and regional Scottish companies, many of which are very small, Harris and his customers are helping support local businesses across Scotland and are helping build more robust local economies.”