McMahon Opticians make Top30 Best Store finalists

Retail Excellence, the largest retail industry representative organisation in Ireland, will announce the Friendliest Place winner at a black-tie awards banquet on Saturday, November 9 in the Great Southern Hotel, Killarney, Co Kerry at the AIB Merchant Services Retail Excellence Awards 2019.

Carrick-on-Shannon is celebrating on the double.

Mary McMahon Opticians has been announced as one of the Top30 Best stores in Ireland and the town has been selected as one of five finalists in the Friendliest Place competition having passed through a rigorous auditing process when retailers were assessed by mystery shoppers testing service standards in the town.

Mary McMahon Opticians, Dublin Road, Carrick-on- Shannon is celebrating its achievement in making the Top30 best stores in Ireland.

It is the only Leitrim business to make the list and indeed one of only three from Connacht, the other two being from Galway.

In addition, McMahon's is the only opticians on the shortlist and that in itself is a considerable achievement for owner Mary McMahon and her staff.

David Fitzsimons, Group Chief Executive of Retail Excellence said, “This is some achievement by the team in McMahon's. We started out in May with over 550 store entries and McMahon's have made it to the Top30 Stores in Ireland.

“The competition will be intense with Brown Thomas Dublin and legendary Cork bookstore Vibes and Scribes making it into the Top30.”

“All of the Retail Excellence team are busy building the best event possible because our industry deserves ample recognition for the work they do in every village, town and city in Ireland in developing standards in the industry, keeping retail workers in jobs and our town centres vibrant.”

In the initial shortlist of the Top100 best stores in Ireland, two other Carrick-on-Shannon based businesses made the list - The Oarsman and Café Lounge - but missed out on the final Top30.

Meanwhile, the Friendliest Place competition is the central part of the Retail Excellence Annual Awards, which were established in 1997 to promote best practice and encourage the highest standards in the Irish Retail Industry.

They are now the largest and most prestigious of their kind in Ireland.

Former Friendliest Place winners include Ennis, Co Clare and Navan, Co Meath.

David Fitzsimons, Group Chief Executive of Retail Excellence commented, “All five finalist places have beaten intense competition to make finalist status. County Councils have nominated local retail businesses who have all been assesses regarding their friendliness.

“These five places have proven they have the customer at the heart of everything they do.”