National Retailer of the Year for 2021 is Arboretum, the garden and home retailer with outlets in Kilquade, Co Wicklow, and Leighlinbridge in Co Carlow.

The Retail Excellence top award went to the Doyle family’s business, originally on a ten-acre site in Leighlinbridge which features a kitchen store, a garden café, home and gift area, furniture area, fashion area and a qualified team of plant experts.

Arboretum took over the National Garden Exhibition Centre at Kilquade, near Greystones, in 2015, and its outlet includes a wide-ranging offering with expert horticultural knowledge, a furniture and BBQ shop, garden tools and care area and an outdoor landscaping area, together with a café. 

Fabiani, a luxury women's wear boutique in Longford town, was named National Store of the Year. There were also awards for Petstop Galway, Wexford café Frank’s Place 1860, and Brown Thomas in Cork.

Retail Excellence chief executive Duncan Graham commented: “These awards highlight that despite all the current challenges the retail sector continues to thrive.  All these winners demonstrate the hard work, vision and determination that characterises the best of Irish retail. They are worthy winners and superb ambassadors for the sector.”

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Arboretum’s Fergal Doyle commented: “We are thrilled with this award, and we regard it as a wonderful acknowledgement of the hard work and dedication which our team of over 130 people have shown over the past two years. 

“It has been an incredibly difficult period between the pandemic, the various lockdowns and the challenges that people are facing every day of the week. But our team has kept going throughout everything and they are the reason we have won this award.”

Fabiani proprietor Louise Brennan added: “This has been a really tough year for everyone involved in retail, so for us to be named National Store of the Year is such a wonderful honour. 

“We put our heart and soul into the business and are trying to create something of real value.  It is amazing to get this recognition and it will inspire us to even greater heights in the coming months.”

Photo (l-r): Fergal Doyle, Rachel Doyle and Barry Doyle of Arboretum

RETAIL EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS