Rutter’s Honored as Int’l Convenience Retailer of the Year

LONDON – Rutter’s Farm Stores was named the NACS Insight International Convenience Retailer of the Year during a celebration at the sixth annual International Convenience Retail Awards, which took place Wednesday during the NACS Insight Convenience Summit – Europe.

The awards recognize convenience retailing excellence at the global level. According to judges, York, Pa.-based Rutter’s was selected as retailer of the year because it delivers a “world-class convenience store through its focus on people, technology, rewards and food.”

The company was also recognized for its quick-service restaurant-modeled food format and quality ingredients, combined with world-class operations and best-in-class use of social and mobile technology.

“Rutter’s clearly recognizes that people make all the difference. Building on its heritage, it lives and breathes this every day throughout every aspect of the business,” said Ramon Kuijpers, international key accounts manager at Imperial Tobacco, sponsor of the award.

Fourteen c-store retailers from three continents vied for the honor. Rutter's CEO Scott Hartman was on hand to accept the award.

“We’ve been very fortunate to be recognized by both our customers as well as our industry peers as the best -- not only locally in our central Pennsylvania marketplace, but also nationally and now internationally,” said Hartman. “When you consider the impressive companies that entered, we take great pride in winning such a prestigious award, and it feels especially great to know that we’re the first chain to bring this recognition home to the U.S."

Also winning an award last night at the London ceremony was Alain Bouchard, president and CEO of Circle K parent Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., who was honored as the NACS Insight International Convenience Leader of the Year.

Judges remarked that Bouchard is a “transformational leader” who has contributed, along with his team, to “transforming the image of the convenience store in the minds of North American consumers” and has led Laval, Quebec-based Couche-Tard’s growth in the Canada convenience store industry.

Finally, the NACS Insight International Store Manager of the Year award was presented to Kate Walsh, a store manager at Herlihy’s Centra Fermoy in Ireland. Judges praised Walsh’s focus and management approach and her success in making Centra Fermoy a great place to work.

Wednesday's awards ceremony was attended by companies from 29 countries spanning five continents.

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