A hat trick at the Retail Industry Awards!

‘Absolutely Impeccable’

We've picked up three prestigious national awards at the 2024 Retail Industry Awards in London – Independent Retailer of the Year (6,000 sq ft and over), Drinks Retailer of the Year and Chilled Retailer of the Year. 

Andy Dike and fellow director Adam Vincent went to receive the awards at a ceremony in London on September 18, where the judges of the Awards described our Stalbridge store as “absolutely Impeccable".

In the judges' detailed feedback for the Chilled Award they said:  

“Dike & Son made improvements in-store to enhance its chilled offer but was at pains to ensure they were environmentally friendly. The lights on its recently installed chillers automatically shut off at night and the owners have increased the number of solar panels on the roof, resulting in lower electricity costs. The new chillers have more visible shelf space, so more lines can be displayed. This means a wider variety and space to include new, more marginal, chilled products such as sauerkraut and meat stocks. 

"The range of Dike’s Kitchen home-made salads in biodegradable bowls has been expanded in response to customer trends towards healthier eating, while the number of chilled dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian products have been increased and a “picnic” aisle has also been added. Our judges said: “This was a very strong entry, showing lots of range development, innovation, great marketing and loads of sustainability initiatives. Without doubt, a fantastic chilled retailer.”

They were equally full of praise for our Drinks department:

“At Dike & Son, close relationships with suppliers have resulted in good deals on beers, wines and spirits. In-store tastings are driving sales locally, while the online store is used by customers across the UK to source hard-to-find bottles. Cross-merchandising has been increased across the store, so it now has chilled wine on the deli counter, promotions such as chilled Peroni with pizza, and lots of snacking in the drinks aisle. A great recent launch was the store’s gifting website, which includes lots of drink hampers and gifts for local collection and delivery. This service is now set to go nationwide, with a mail-order option featuring bespoke hampers that customers can build themselves. One judge said: “There’s an excellent and clear strategy here and it’s maximising sales not only from its local community but also UK-wide.”

And finally, the main award, Independent Retailer of the Year (over 6,000 sq ft):

“A one-off superstore with a clear passion for community retailing, Dike & Son scooped this year’s final award for independents thanks to its expanded range, immaculate store standards and unwavering support for local producers. New this year were energy-efficient chillers, EV charge points and more solar panels, as well as a new ‘picnic’ aisle featuring cooked meats, pies and quiches. The retailer expanded its range of Dike’s Kitchen home-made salads in response to customer trends towards healthier eating and is now making its own desserts. Judges were impressed with its huge ranges of beers, wines and spirits, as well as its support for good causes through Nisa’s Making a Difference Locally charity. All of this adds up to a fantastic shopping experience, which makes the store a destination for foodies and tourists, as well as offering range, quality and value for its local community. “I can’t get over just how good the merchandising was, and how well-faced the store was. It’s absolutely impeccable,” said one judge.”

 Managing Director Andy Dike said: “These awards reflect the huge amount of hard work put in by all of the team over the past year, and we are absolutely thrilled to have excelled in so many areas. This fantastic news has given us a massive boost."