Write a commentNewry based pet shop Pet Connection won the Independent Pet Supplies Store of the Year award at the 2nd Northern Ireland Independent Retail Awards, held in the Crowne Plaza Belfast Hotel last week. The awards are held annually to highlight the value of Independent Retailers to their local communities and winners were chosen by a judging panel following a public nomination process. Research by Indie Retail has previously shown that for every £1 spent with a local, independent business, between 50p-70p is circulated back into the local economy.
Pet Connection Managing Director Frank Clarke commented, “We are delighted to bring the Independent Pet Supplies Store of the Year award back to Newry. We are so grateful to the local people who choose to support our business and who took the time to nominate us for the award. It can be difficult for small, locally owned businesses like ourselves to compete against bigger chains and we do work hard to give as much back to the local community and to animal charities as possible.“
Pet Connection has been open in Newry since 2002 and support pet owners both in their store on the Dublin Road and online. Pet owners can access advice and support for their four legged friends as well as enjoy a huge range of foods and accessories. Since 2016, they have supported a number of charities by offering Wishlists, including local rescue Louth SPCA and larger national rescues like MADRA Dog Rescue.
The Northern Ireland Independent Retail Awards were organised by Creative Oceanic, who have presented awards to showcase small businesses in cities across the world. CEO Ifran Younis said: “Congratulations to all winners and finalists at the 2nd Northern Ireland Independent Retail Awards 2019. We were delighted to host such exceptional and hardworking people who make such brilliant role models and are leading a new generation of small business owners to success.”
