This month, we caught up with Alan Lowry, Customer Manager for Northern Ireland, whose role places him at the centre of customer relationships, retail execution and commercial delivery across the NI region

With 22 years in the business, Alan has worked across a number of NI sites, where he looks after all retail and foodservice customers across the region.

When asked what a typical day looks like, Alan quickly points out that no two days are ever the same. His time is split between reviewing sales performance, analysing data to identify new opportunities and preparing for customer visits. Alongside that comes planning and forecasting for market activity, as well as attending regular commercial meetings with teams across the business. Add in frequent customer meetings with the likes of Tesco, Musgrave and Hendersons, and it’s a role defined by variety and pace.

That variety is also what Alan enjoys most about managing key accounts. Building strong customer relationships is central to the job, but so too is the challenge that comes with it. Every day brings a new problem to solve, and Alan enjoys working through those challenges, often collaborating across different functions to find the right solution. While Teams meetings play their part, he believes there’s still huge value in sitting down face‑to‑face with customers and strengthening relationships in person.

From Alan’s perspective, great customer partnerships are built on trust, integrity and consistency. Regular communication keeps everyone aligned, while dealing with issues quickly and constructively helps maintain confidence on both sides. When those foundations are in place, the partnership works not just for the customer, but for the business too.

It’s been a busy and rewarding start to 2026, with retail execution and shopper marketing delivering some strong wins, particularly in Tesco NI. One of the standout moments has been the fixture takeover, where a four‑foot bay was secured to showcase the full Avonmore Protein Milk range across both one‑litre and 500ml formats. The additional visibility has driven sales and strengthened the conversation around extra space in store.

Building on that momentum, Alan also spoke about the introduction of front‑of‑store mod takeovers in Tesco NI, something that hasn’t been done before in that market. Delivered through close collaboration with shopper marketing and agreed with Tesco, these activations bring the brand into high‑traffic areas of the store, helping to drive shopper engagement while further strengthening the customer relationship.

The Tesco NI launch itself was a significant milestone, though not without its challenges. Alan explained that a system limitation initially prevented products from being listed in Northern Ireland if they were already listed in the south. Overcoming that required extensive collaboration with Tesco NI, Tesco ROI and Tesco GB, along with a series of meetings to work through the issue. Getting past that barrier was a major achievement and one that made the subsequent success even more rewarding.

Now, seeing weekly sales continue to build is where the real buzz comes from. After months of effort to get the customer live and the activity right, the results are showing through in the numbers, helping to open up further conversations around distribution and future opportunities.
Looking ahead, Alan is particularly excited about the growth potential for dairy drinks in Northern Ireland and beyond. In a short space of time, Avonmore Protein Milk has grown to account for around 10% of the Tesco dairy drinks section in NI, with sales continuing to build week on week. That performance not only opens up further opportunities within Northern Ireland, but also lays the groundwork for future conversations in other markets.

Cross‑functional collaboration has been a key driver of recent success and Alan works closely with colleagues across brand, shopper marketing and commercial teams to ensure plans land effectively in store. Aligning promotional activity with in‑store execution, while staying consistent across north and south, has been critical.

From a retail perspective, Alan believes the activations that really land with shoppers are those that are impactful, engaging and positioned in the right part of the store. Clear communication of the brand message and strong visual presence help draw shoppers in and drive purchase.
Away from work, Alan’s life is just as busy. He has two teenage daughters who keep him on his toes, particularly with swimming commitments for his youngest. When he does get a chance to switch off, he enjoys walking along the North Coast with the dog, playing golf and heading out on his motorcycle to explore different parts of Ireland. And like many of us, he appreciates those rare evenings where he can properly switch off and do nothing at all.