Bisi and Mayo Osundeko, owners of Go Local Junction Lane in Sutton and The Local Rainford, were named Best Retail Couple at the 2026 Asian Trader Awards in London. The couple described the recognition as a much-needed moment of happiness after a devastating year for their family.
A difficult year for the family
The business owners are no strangers to awards, with the ECHO previously reporting how the pair were "absolutely ecstatic" to be behind one of the UK's top independent convenience stores. However, this latest recognition carries an especially personal significance following the death of their 14-year-old daughter, Joy.
Joy died four months after an incident at her family home in which her life-saving ventilator system was switched off by her carer for six minutes. Although she survived the incident, her parents believe it led to a "major deterioration" in her condition before her death.
Dedicated to their children
The couple said the award came at a time when they needed something positive to celebrate. Bisi told the ECHO: "It has been quite a tough year for us as a family on a personal level. Even our son was diagnosed with epilepsy, so as a family we've always had a lot to contend with."
"It just felt like the universe was saying, 'You guys deserve some joy, some happiness', because we really do try our best to put positivity into the world, not just through our business but also through the things we do in the community."
"The award was actually dedicated to our children, including Joy, who has sadly passed away, our son Joseph and Alice, our little girl who we have just adopted."
Store improvements and community impact
The pair took over the store in December 2021. At the time, Bisi, who came to the UK from Nigeria to study at the University of Nottingham after being awarded a scholarship, said taking ownership prepared her to address issues in the area including the cost-of-living crisis and domestic abuse.
The premises, which had previously been a convenience store and post office for over 20 years, had fallen into disrepair and were in desperate need of refurbishment. Bisi and Mayo undertook significant store improvements including new chiller units and increased shelving space. The store has since retained its post office.
Recognition and pride
Bisi added: "We were pleasantly surprised. We went to London really keen to network, meet suppliers and discover new products, so just being named as finalists was amazing for us. When they called our name, we couldn't believe it."
"It's a huge responsibility because we know we're there because we have the right team and because our customers support us. We're just so grateful that our shop is thriving, especially when so many convenience stores are struggling with competition."
"It's really nice to get some recognition for our hard work. We've invested so much into this business, including our life savings, and we've worked incredibly hard to create somewhere our customers can see that we genuinely care."
"We feel so proud to have put the name of St Helens out there. We've had emails and phone calls from all around the UK congratulating us, and some people are even hearing about our shop for the first time. We're incredibly proud."
The pair's Go Local Junction Lane was previously listed in the UK and Ireland's 2026 'Top 100 independent convenience stores'. The 'Better Retailing Top 100 Stores' are recognised for achieving exceptional standards across at least two of the eight Better Retailing Awards categories, which assess the key skills needed to run a successful store.
