A Paceville-based store manager has been recognised with an international award for excellence in grocery and food retail management.

Kanchan Rijal, store manager at SPAR Paceville, has won an award at the FMI Store Manager Awards, presented annually by the US-based FMI The Food Industry Association to outstanding grocery and food retail managers.

He was nominated in Category D for international retailers.

FMI said Mr Rijal “thrives at a location that is open 24 hours a day in one of the island’s busiest tourist neighbourhoods”.

“Kanchan, who started as a store assistant in 2019, doesn’t just keep up with the pace of traffic and business. He moves the business forward, continually driving growth in sales, basket spend, and traffic, and ensuring future momentum through innovation,” it said.

“One example of that innovation is the launch of a food-to-go concept developed in response to the nearby opening of a major competitor.”

“Kanchan oversaw that rollout and also led an expansion that repositioned the store as a destination for convenience, fresh food and ‘Taste of Malta’ local products. Those additions sparked triple-digit weekly momentum and led the retailer to be named a Top 12 finalist for Best Foodvenience Store in the World for 2025.”

It added that seven current store managers and one regional manager started their leadership journeys under his mentorship, and that he rotates his presence across the 24-hour schedules to build relationships across the operation.