The Gala Group welcomed in excess of 350 guests to their annual Gala Retail Conference & Excellence Awards 2022, which took place at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney at the end of September. It is the first time the Gala conference, trade fair and Excellence Awards have taken place since 2019 and the atmosphere was one of celebration, with retailers, wholesalers and suppliers coming together for the two-day event.
CEO of Gala Retail, Gary Desmond, addressed guests at the event, taking the opportunity to express, face-to-face, the Gala Group’s appreciation for the efforts undertaken during the Covid-19 pandemic, thanking Gala retailers for going above and beyond for their communities and thanking Gala suppliers and wholesalers who played an instrumental role in the supply chain, ensuring a steady stream of goods for retailers and their communities. Gary also added a note of thanks to the team at Gala Retail Services, who navigated their way through the ever-changing environment, going the extra mile to ensure Gala retailers were supported at a time when they needed it most.
Grow As One
The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Grow As One’ and saw the Gala Group reporting sales increases of 28% since March 2020, including a 10% sales increase for the year to date, while acknowledging the challenges of city centre stores, where footfall hasn’t returned to pre-pandemic levels. However, the Group continues to grow, with the addition of 43 new stores to the Gala portfolio, including 13 new forecourt stores since 2020. The theme of growth and development was high on the agenda, with Gary highlighting these most recent successes as building blocks for further growth ahead of Gala’s 25th anniversary in 2023. With further growth planned, the CEO also acknowledged the current cost-of-living crisis which is impacting consumer behaviour. “Our objective for this year is to grow, as one, by working together, identifying opportunities for expansion, growth and acquisition, and going above and beyond for our customers,” Gary said. “However, we have a challenge ahead, as do all retailers and businesses. We need to keep our consumers shopping in Gala stores and grow our footfall as the cost-of-living crisis deepens. We need to offer value, yes, but so much more. We need to give our customers a reason to return to a Gala store time and time again.”
Impressive trade show
Earlier in the day, guests at the conference attended the annual conference trade show in the INEC where they viewed new products and services from suppliers, discussed solutions that can be incorporated in-store and sampled the delicious product range from Gala’s in-house concepts: Baker’s Corner, New Street Deli, Coffee Junction, Galato and Distill.
The trade show is an integral part of the annual Gala conference, as Gary Desmond acknowledged: “Over the years, our suppliers have shown great support to the Gala Group and our retailers, and we really appreciate their support at our annual trade show and conference. The trade show provides a fantastic opportunity for Gala retailers and suppliers to meet face-to-face, avail of exceptional offers and see first-hand the latest innovations, respectively. This opportunity has been missing for the past couple of years, with the event taking a more virtual format, which makes this year’s trade fair more important than ever, allowing new connections to be made and old ones to be cemented and strengthened. “Our suppliers are an intrinsic part of the Gala mix, supporting Gala stores in the delivery of great value, quality produce and excellent service to our customers.”
Impressive marketing activities
Community continues to be at the core of Gala Retail’s values, and this is reflected in the brand marketing activities the Group undertakes throughout the year, as outlined by the CEO during his address. This year Gala in-store promotions focused on rewarding customers through the ‘Summer Days' and 'Getaways’ in-store promotions, activations that drive footfall to Gala stores and generate goodwill within local communities. Touching on the Group’s sponsorship of national children’s summer camps, Starcamp with Gala Retail, the Gala Retail Inspiration Awards, and the Group’s continued support of Special Olympics Ireland, Gary highlighted Gala Retail’s commitment to supporting Irish organisations and celebrating the inspirational individuals that can be found in communities across Ireland.
Reinforcing the Group’s core values
“Our marketing activities and partnerships are reflective of our core values of Irishness and community, supporting home grown businesses and organisations, while reinforcing the Gala brand values and ethos to a wider audience, through these associations,” he said. “At Gala, we’re here to grow, grow the Group and our businesses, but we’re also here to give back and support others. Our commitment to Special Olympics Ireland is as steadfast as ever. Next year is the World Summer Games, the biggest year in the Special Olympics calendar, and we are proud of the role that our support plays in helping Special Olympics athletes to represent Ireland.”
Gary also spoke about the Group’s awareness of the importance of building online communities and their continued commitment to further growing their online presence. An early adopter of social media, the Gala Retail brand continues to go from strength to strength online. Excellence in Retailing awards At the Gala awards event, it was time for Gala retailers to celebrate excellence in retailing with the Gala Excellence Awards, which were MC’ed by TV and radio presenter, Lucy Kennedy. Presented to stores that are deemed ‘outstanding’ following a comprehensive and independent assessment, these annual awards recognise quality retailing throughout the Gala Group. 49 Gala stores from across the country picked up an award in recognition of their excellence in retailing, with an additional 12 Category Awards presented on the night, including the Social Media Champion, Customer Service and Brand Champion awards, among others.
Mondelēz Ireland was named as Gala Supplier of the Year and Managing Director of Mondelēz Ireland, Eoin Kellet, commented that the company was thrilled to be receiving the award, which was presented to him by Gary Desmond. “We are honoured to have so many excellent and passionate retailers, and teams, within the Gala Group,” enthused Gary Desmond. “Our retailers go above and beyond and this has never been more evident than in recent years. It is our pleasure to recognise the retailers who embody the ethos and values of Gala Retail in their service to their communities with these awards. It is their successes both tonight and the wins in-store every day that make the Gala Group better, stronger and able to ‘Grow As One’.”
