More than 240 retail and hospitality workers attended Manchester Arndale’s glitzy retail awards last night at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel.
The annual Manchester Arndale Retailer Awards, or MARAs, aim to reward the ‘shining stars’ of the UK’s largest inner-city shopping centre.
Over the past few months, surveys were carried out on shoppers exiting each store to determine their thoughts on the service and experience they had received. The stylish ceremony on Sunday evening was jam-packed with attendees eager to hear the results of the 17 award categories.
Famous for their freshly baked muffins and welcoming plenty of ‘regulars’ each week, Coffee Break took home the title of ‘Best’ in the Cafes, Bars and Restaurants category. Customer comments praised the friendly staff, good value food and “homely feel”. Somewhat of a Manchester institution, Coffee Break is owned by Raj Patel and has been serving customers at the Arndale for around 15 years, offering hot drinks, sandwiches, muffins and more.
Monki and newcomer to the Arndale Moss were victorious in the Womenswear and Menswear category, whilst alternative fashion store Damaged Society took home the Mixed Fashion Award just in time for its double-size store expansion at the Centre.
Dr Martens stepped up to scoop Footwear store of the year, and Sergeant Caesar and Rituals were joint winners in the Health & Beauty category.
Beaverbrooks, which opened it’s Arndale store when the Centre itself first opened its doors in 1979, claimed Jewellery store of the year.
In the Leisure category, family-favourite Immersive Gamebox stole the show for the second year running.
The ‘Excellence Award’, a prestigious title bestowed the highest-scoring store each year, was awarded to Apple, Beaverbrooks, Metro Bank and Warhammer who all scored 100% in the customer surveys.
David Allinson, Centre Director at Manchester Arndale, said: “Our retailer awards serve to celebrate our hardworking store teams and show how important their efforts are to customers and the Manchester Arndale team. It was fantastic to see the success of some of our old friends such as Beaverbrooks and Coffee Break, as well as being able to celebrate the achievements of new stores such as Moss so soon after opening. The scoring was extremely close across all categories this year, which is testament to the high-quality service and excellent customer experience provided at Manchester Arndale.”
