Scally’s SuperValu in Clonakilty, Co Cork has won a major international award for its trailblazing autism-friendly initiatives. The Clonakilty store was named winner in the Diversity & Inclusion category of the 2019 IGD Awards, which celebrate the best of the global food and consumer goods industry.
At the gala event at the Tobacco Dock, London, on Thursday, November 7th, Scally’s SuperValu beat global brands such as Coca-Cola and retail groups such as Co-Op Group to scoop the coveted Diversity & Inclusion prize.
Working together with SuperValu, Ireland’s leading food retailer, Scally’s SuperValu has led the way in the Irish food retail sector in championing autism initiatives. As part of SuperValu’s autism-friendly shopping programme, the Clonakilty store has provided specialised training to staff and organised autism-friendly shopping nights in the store.
SuperValu’s autism programme is part of its commitment to building sustainable communities across Ireland. Following on from the launch of its in-store autism-friendly initiatives, last year, Scally’s worked together with autism charity AsIAm and other local businesses in the Cork town to gain recognition for Clonakilty as Ireland’s first autism-friendly town.
Scally’s innovative approach to inclusion has led to 10 other towns in Ireland becoming autism-friendly and 90 other SuperValu stores offering tailored services for people with autism.
Speaking about the award win, Eugene Scally, Scally’s SuperValu Clonakilty, said, “I am delighted to accept the IGD Award for Diversity & Inclusion award on behalf of all the hard-working, dedicated team in Scally’s SuperValu. Winning this award demonstrates that by working together with our customers and the local community in Clonakilty to introduce autism-friendly initiatives, we can make a real, positive difference to people’s lives.”
The IGD Diversity & Inclusion Award win follows Scally’s SuperValu winning two categories at the Best in Fresh awards, where the store was recognised for Excellence in Fresh Food Retailing in a Large Supermarket and for Ireland’s Best Fresh Meat Offering.
SuperValu has 220 stores nationwide and serves over 2.6 million customers every week. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible, with 75% of everything on SuperValu’s shelves sourced in Ireland, helping to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.
