About Us
Asian Trader Awards 2024
As the premier awards ceremony for the independent retailing industry, the Asian Trader Awards is, and always has been, the must-attend event in grocery.
Every year, the awards gather the key players and stakeholders across the grocery sector to recognise and reward the cream of the crop from convenience retailing. On the evening, leading politicians mix with captains of industry to herald independent retailers, convenience store and symbol operators, shopkeepers, off-license owners and newsagents from across the UK.
The highly professional retailers who were victors last year have raised the bar for this year’s finalists. For example, we saw how independent retailers have been quick to respond to the trend of consumers shopping ‘little and often’. Also, despite experiencing a challenging economic climate in recent years, independent retailers’ ability to manage and capitalise on shopping trends such as healthy snacking and to improve their store layout has kept them ahead of the game. It is always tall order for retailers to top previous winners, but with the convenience channel enjoying growth once again, 2024 is sure to reveal even greater achievements from retailers. This year, we have already reported on instances where customer service and being part of the local community have become central to the ongoing success of independent retailing.
Naturally, the multiples have not been slow to notice this trend and are aggressively trying to capture space on the high street with takeovers and hostile bids. But instead of fearing this high street competition, independent retailers have continuously shown that they have learned from it and have then improved their store offerings in the areas that the multiples cannot. Independent retailers have kept on persevering, getting to know their customers and meeting their needs while working closely with wholesalers and suppliers – which is why we hold these awards, so we can celebrate these wins. Asian Trader magazine will continue to do everything to help and support independent retailers, and it is in this spirit that we encourage the UK’s finest independent retailers to enter the 2022 awards.
Our History
Our beginnings may have been humble, but the ambitions of our founder, Mr Ramniklal Solanki CBE, were both noble and audacious. The audacity of the group’s founder Ramniklal Solanki was to start a Gujarati newspaper with no start-up capital when there were few Indians in the UK and the technology to produce such a paper did not exist in the country.
Mr Solanki had collected some advance subscriptions to fund his new journalistic enterprise. From those difficult early beginnings when the paper was produced on a Gujarati typewriter, Mr Solanki travelled across Britain, going from town to city, knocking on doors and selling subscriptions.
A journalist to the core, Ramniklal Solanki had come to Britain as a foreign correspondent for a group of Indian newspapers some four years before the launch of Garavi Gujarat.
Our Brands
At Asian Media Group, we take great pride in our diverse portfolio of magazines, comprising seven unique and captivating brands. Each brand has its own distinct identity and caters to a specific audience, offering a wealth of information, entertainment, and inspiration. Allow us to introduce you to our remarkable range of publications:
Our upcoming events:
At Asian Media Group, we take great pride in organizing a diverse range of events that bring together industry professionals, thought leaders, and enthusiasts from around the globe. Two significant types of events that we curate are awards ceremonies and conferences. These events serve as platforms for recognition, knowledge sharing, and networking, fostering growth and excellence in their respective fields.
Get in Touch
Please provide the required details here,
Daksha Ganatra | Events Manager
Asian Media Group
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7654 7743
Email: [email protected]
Hanna Terletska | Events Manager
Asian Media Group
[email protected]
020 7654 7776