Becoming the first national independent retailer to win AACS Retailer of the Year, New Sunrise says it is “humbled and proud” to receive the award.
Picking up the award at the recent Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS) Gala Dinner at Crown Casino in Melbourne, the accolade is a testament to the company mission of ‘making a difference in the community, by helping people enjoy life and get on with their day’.
The AACS Awards are measured by the CMA Convenience Pulse Program. The results are measured across six performance areas and there are two reads completed annually with the best performer over the calendar year being the winner.
Steve Cardinale, Managing Director of New Sunrise, said this award is first and foremost for their retailer members, who are at the heart of the communities and the heart of New Sunrise.
“They are often first to open and last to close, particularly in times of distress in their communities. They continue to inspire, innovate, and support their communities every day. It is an honour and a privilege to serve them.
“The New Sunrise family includes our supplier partners, and we thank them for their ongoing support. Our partners have adopted our pillars of Mutuality, Visibility, Execution and Growth and together, we have been able to achieve year on year growth in the network.
“We work together to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, we embrace and understand strategy to drive growth for the network, we do what’s in the best interest of our retailers, category and consumers and we truly value true our partnerships and recognise honest collaboration.”
A partnership with Heart of the Nation, founded by original Yellow Wiggle Greg Page, has been heralded by the industry and in 2022, New Sunrise fulfilled its promise to fund the placement of over 400 AED defibrillators into the network, in what saw immediate lifesaving situations in Hobart and Sydney.
On the award, Joseph Alessi, National Merchandise Manager at New Sunrise, said it was one of the proudest moments of his working career.
“This award is testament to the hard work of the entire New Sunrise team. This would not be possible without the hard work, dedication, passion, and commitment of our team members to strive to be the best and do the best for our retailers.”
Amongst the ways in which New Sunrise helps their retailers and supplier partners connect, learn, and share is through the Iceworks Conferences. In 2022, there were two conferences, one in Darwin in May and another in Hawaii in November.
Both events were key highlights for the business, and were effective in communicating business strategies, sharing learning across the network and taking a study tour of the local market.
New Sunrise state they will continue to strive for growth ahead of the market and support all of its members, with Cardinale stating that they have not come this far to only come this far.
“This award gives us further encouragement to set new targets and reach for higher goals. We see this as a win for the independents, who are setting new world-class standards across the industry,” said Cardinale.
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