Retailer of the Year 2024 winners announced
For the 10th time Trade magazin has invited points of sale and store chains registered in Hungary to compete in 2024. The competition has a new name this year, plus a simpler look and format.
This article is available for reading in Trade magazin 2024/12-01
Retailer of the Year was open to shops with a design that best fits the sales concept, a store design that harmonises the interior and exterior appearance, the presentation of the goods, the staff, the service and the target group – and a communication that reflects this. There was no restriction as regards the profile of the shops. Nearly forty entries were evaluated by the panel of professionals, but shoppers also had the opportunity to highlight their favourites with an award.
We had many joyful moments at the Business Days 2024 Retailer of the Year awards gala again this year. Congratulations to all the winners! Heartfelt thanks to the Special Award sponsors for their cooperation and of course we will continue next year!
Three special awards were announced for the first time this year: the Nébih KMÉ Special Award for Sustainability by the National Food Chain Safety Office, the MARS Magyarország Special Award and the Trade magazin Special Award. The results were announced at the gala dinner of the conference on 26 September 2024, where a total of 22 entries were honoured. The best-rated retail outlet in the Retailer of the Year competition won Store of the Year Hungary 2024, while the most successful retail chain was named Retailer of the Year 2024. //
FRUIT AND VEGETABLES STORE OF THE YEAR and STORE OF THE YEAR: Szeged, Mérey utca – Vitamin Szalon Kft.
On 17 April 2024 the Vitamin Szalon store in Szeged moved to a new address on Mérey Street. With this step the store ended up in a more prominent location, which strengthens the brand. The new store has a bigger floor space and modern equipment. //
SHOPPING CENTRE OF THE YEAR and STORE OF THE YEAR: ETELE Plaza Budapest – Futureal Prime Properties One Ingatlanfejlesztő Részalap
Etele Plaza is Hungary’s first smart mall, paying special attention to harmonious exterior and interior design and the use of accessible and sustainable solutions. It is an ideal place for customers with pets, families with young children, the elderly and disabled people. //
HYPERMARKET OF THE YEAR: INTERSPAR – Debrecen, Mikepércsi út – SPAR Magyarország Kft.
In November 2023 the city’s second INTERSPAR store opened in the dynamically developing southern area of Debrecen. Shoppers can choose from more than 20,000 products on 2,600m², and the store features environmentally friendly solutions such as CO2-based refrigeration. //
LARGE-SIZED SUPERMARKET OF THE YEAR: Príma Corvin Plaza Budapest – Városház – Centrál Kft.
This Príma Supermarket puts a special emphasis on customer comfort and satisfaction. Special dietary needs are catered for with gluten-, lactose- and sugar-free products, as well as a vegan and paleo product selection being available on a floor space of 3,500m². //
SUPERMARKET OF THE YEAR: Budapest, Szent Imre utca / Görgey Artúr utca – SPAR Magyarország Kft.
A new modern exterior and spacious interior satisfy the shopping needs of locals and those working in the surrounding business district. After the modernisation SPAR continues to offer a wide range of products and there is a SPAR to Go restaurant too. //
SMALL-SIZED STORE OF THE YEAR: Kübekháza, Petőfi tér – Coop Szeged Zrt.
With the store modernisation the goal was to meet customer needs and expand the product range, which was achieved through energy investments, a solar panel system and technological modernisation. There is also a Post Office and a Lottery Shop now. //
PHARMACY OF THE YEAR: Budapest 18. kerület, Thököly út – BENU Magyarország Zrt.
Thanks to the introduction of the BENU 2.0 concept, the new pharmacy on Thököly Road is larger, clearer and more transparent, offering a large selection of products. The concept seeks to focus on disease prevention and health preservation. //
DISCOUNT STORE OF THE YEAR: 200. üzlet – Budapest, Budaörsi út – Lidl Magyarország Bt.
Lidl Magyarország stands out with its value-for-money and high quality products. The store on Budaörsi út – the company’s 200th – is strategically located, with a modern design and sustainability solutions such as green electricity and food saving initiatives. //
DRUGSTORE OF THE YEAR: Árkád Budapest – Rossmann Magyarország Kft.
Rossmann’s recently re-opened drugstore features a spacious, modern interior and illuminated shelf ends that highlight the wide range of facial care products, plus there is an opportunity for product testing. Expert sales colleagues are at hand to assist customers. //
ONLINE SHOP OF THE YEAR: www.tenapod.shop – Square One Media Kft.
Website “Te Napod” offers thematic experience gifts in the categories of gastronomy, wellness and experience, with 50-100-250 optional activities. The gift vouchers are valid for 15 months and the recipient can choose the experience they like best. //
PUBLIC’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER STORE OF THE YEAR: Tesco Pólus Budapest – Tesco-Global Áruházak Zrt.
This Tesco store offers efficient and convenient shopping with modern retail innovations such as self-checkouts and the Scan&Shop system, and is actively involved in the local community, for example through the food rescue programme. //
FRANCHISE STORE OF THE YEAR: Szeged, Tisza Lajos körút – Fornetti Kft.
Fornetti appeals to all age groups with its large product selection and diversified target group, while its sustainable and innovative solutions ensure that stores are modern and environmentally conscious, offering customers an optimal shopping experience. //
WINNER RETAIL CHAINS:
DISCOUNTER CHAIN OF THE YEAR and MARS Special Award winner and RETAILER OF THE YEAR
Lidl Magyarország Bt.
Lidl Magyarország has been Hungary’s No.1 retailer for four years now, according to Trade magazin’s Retailer Ranking. The company’s strengths are its standardised store structure, continuously improved product offering and efficient workflows. //
The award was received by Judit Tőzsér, Lidl’s head of company communication
HYPERMARKET CHAIN OF THE YEAR and Nébih-KMÉ Sustainability Special Award winner
AUCHAN Magyarország Kft.
Auchan Magyarország actively developed its retail offering and customer experience in 2023. It launched a number of innovative initiatives, such as the partnership with the EFOTT festival, the VIP Shoppers Night in December or its private label Qilive consumer electronics. //
The award was received by Judit Dobrovitsné Király and Gabriella Vágóné Varga, Auchan’s assortment and purchasing directors and Ildikó Balázs, corporate affairs director
SUPERMARKET CHAIN OF THE YEAR
SPAR Magyarország Kft.
SPAR Magyarország pays special attention to sustainable operations and reducing plastic use, saving around 600 tonnes of plastic and paper per year. SPAR sources 92% of products from Hungarian manufacturers. They opened new stores and modernised existing ones in 2023. //
The award was received by Márk Maczelka, head of communications and Eduard Vonier managing director
SMALL-SIZED STORE CHAIN OF THE YEAR
461 stores modernised in villages and small towns as part of the Hungarian Village Programme
One of Hungary’s largest franchise chains with a 100% Hungarian ownership, COOP is constantly adapting to current trends and business developments, which take sustainability and environmental aspects into account not only in the big cities but also in small towns. //
The award was received by László Pekó, Chairman of the Board of Co-op Hungary
DRUGSTORE CHAIN OF THE YEAR
ROSSMANN Magyarország Kft.
In 2023 Rossmann celebrated its 30th birthday with a big festival. The event took place at the sports ground in Üllő, with more than 1,500 employees attending the colourful programmes, health screenings and a variety of entertaining activities. //
FRANCHISE STORE CHAIN OF THE YEAR
Dél-100 Kft.
A network of rural drugstores and grocery stores, PlusMarket made significant progress in 2023. The franchise system of Dél-100 Kft. continues to grow and strengthen, as demonstrated by the increase in sales and the growing number of stores. //
A díjat átvette: Dobi István, a Dél-100 alapító-tulajdonosa
//
PHARMACY CHAIN OF THE YEAR
BENU Magyarország Zrt.
A BENU Magyarország 2023-ban tovább bővítette gyógyszertárhálózatát, elérve az 500. közforgalmú gyógyszertárat és fiókpatikát. A franchise-rendszerük dinamikus növekedést mutatott, és 250. partnerüket is üdvözölték. Az ünnepi kampányuk „500 helyen Önökért!” jelmondata kiemelte elkötelezettségüket és növekedési stratégiájukat, melynek részeként jelentős kedvezményeket és közösségi kezdeményezéseket hoztak létre.
The award was received by dr. Zsolt Fodor, sales representative of BENU and dr. Csaba Séllei, manager of BENU’s pharmacy in Thököly út
//
WHOLESALE CHAIN OF THE YEAR
METRO Kereskedelmi Kft.
In 2023 METRO Wholesale made significant progress in strengthening its B2B relationships and brand building work. They won the Business Superbrands award and organised several ground-breaking programmes such as the Sustainable Gastronomy Forum. //
The award was received by Vladimir Gnjidić, METRO ‘s CEO
//
Trade magazin Special Award winner
Penny-Market Kft.
In 2023 PENNY Magyarország actively developed its stores, enhancing the customer experience with a new image and modernisation. PENNY stores saved tens of thousands of food in partnership with Munch and they also cooperated with the Hungarian Red Cross. //
The award was received by Eszter Kazatsay, PENNY ‘s communications manager
//
PUBLIC’S CHOICE AWARD WINNER RETAIL CHAIN OF THE YEAR and Nébih-KMÉ
Sustainability Special Award winner
Tesco-Global Áruházak Zrt.
In response to the economic challenges, Tesco kept the prices of 600 essential products low in 2023 as part of its Price Guarantee campaign. The retailer also offers additional discounts to customers through its Clubcard loyalty scheme, including weekly price cuts for pensioners. //
The award was received by Martin Coulam, Tesco-Global’s director of operations
Congratulations to the winners!
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