Who Are The Most Successful National Lottery Retailers?
Last Updated: Wednesday 1st May 2019, 09:39
An awards ceremony has taken place to recognise the most successful National Lottery retailers of the past 12 months. It is the first time that there has been a celebration specifically for those at the front end of ticket sales.
The ceremony was held at the National Space Centre in Leicester, which is funded by the National Lottery, and was staged to mark the 25th anniversary of the game’s launch.
National Lottery operator Camelot has been working hard to improve the standards of retailers, launching a three-year, £20 million project last April which included initiatives such as ‘Site, Stock, Sell’.
The purpose of the scheme has been to help retailers promote National Lottery games as much as possible, by making sure the play areas are located in the best areas, stocks of scratchcards and playslips are full, and advertising posters are prominent in the store.
The project has already proved to be successful, with Camelot chief executive Nigel Railton saying that 75 percent of retailers are now achieving scores of at least eight out of 10 against the group’s quality criteria.
Mike Cullimore of Newtown Services, Germoe, Cornwall, is one of those retailers to have embraced what Camelot is trying to do, and was rewarded with the prize for the highest increase in draw-based sales over the past 12 months. Among the other awards, the following retailers also won:
* Best Lotto Event Performance - Manoj Patel of Mannys in Surbiton, Surrey, who posted the top overall sales for the Christmas Superdraw.
* Biggest increase in scratchcard sales - Amit Varu of Varus Local, Whitwick, Leicestershire for recording a 102 percent rise.
* Best Euromillions Event Performance - Peter Wagg of News on the Wharf, Canary Wharf, London, following the February Superdraw.
* Biggest Contribution from a Single Retailer to Good Causes - Alison Pidgeon of Melksham Card and News Centre in Wiltshire, who has raised more than £72,000 in the last year.
Set For Life Helping To Bring In Younger Players
Ticket sales from retailers have gone up 3 percent over the past 12 months, arresting a previous decline that had led Camelot to bringing in a host of changes to many of its games.
Among the changes have been an increase in promotional draws such as the upcoming Lotto special event, and EuroMillions draws where a large number of Millionaire Maker prizes are guaranteed.
Railton believes that Camelot is now much better at listening to retailers, while the introduction of Set For Life has also created more draw days. Set For Life, played on Mondays and Thursdays is an annuity-based game where you can win £10,000 every month for 30 years. The second prize also pays out £10,000 a month for one year.
The chance to win a guaranteed income, rather than a one-off jackpot, was geared towards bringing in a younger demographic who may not have previously been attracted to other draw-based games. Railton has been encouraged by the way sales have gone since the game launched in March, with over 150,000 prizes given away in the most recent draw.
Whether you enjoy Set For Life, prefer the big jackpots of EuroMillions or Lotto or like to play a mix of games, you can visit your local retailer to take part or play online. Good luck!