Musgrave Group, partner to entrepreneurial food retailers and food service professionals, today announced that Adrian Grey will join its board as Group Human Resources Director effective 3 May 2011.

Adrian, who has over 20 years professional HR experience, has worked in various global roles with Kerry Group and Maastock (Saudi Arabia) and is currently Director of HR and Organisational Development for University College Cork.  

Chris Martin, Chief Executive Officer, Musgrave Group, said, “We are delighted that Adrian has agreed to join Musgrave and I would like to welcome him to the board. Adrian brings a wealth of international HR experience from his time with Kerry Group and Maastock. His best practice experience in the areas of business strategy, change management and the alignment and integration of businesses will be particularly important as we continue to transform our business and engage our people in meeting the challenges of the current economic crisis.“

Adrian is a Fellow of the CIPD, has a degree in economics and succeeds Noel Keeley who was appointed Managing Director of Musgrave Wholesale Partners in November 2010.

McInerney’s SuperValu located in the heart of Loughrea in Co. Galway was awarded the prestigious accolade of “SuperValu of the Year” for 2011. The store received the award at the group’s national conference held in the Malton Hotel, Killarney on Monday 28th March.

The National Award was presented to store owners Ger and Michael McInerney by Martin Kelleher, SuperValu Managing Director, Ciaran Levis, SuperValu Sales Director and Clive Ryan, General Manager, eircom Business, competition sponsors.

Over 192 SuperValu stores throughout the Republic of Ireland were adjudicated by independent competition judge, Paul ’Sullivan, Director, Faculty of Business at Dublin Institute of Technology. These audits focused on customer care, store presentation, fresh food offering, product range, operational standards, store hygiene and local community involvement.

Commenting on the award, store owner, Michael McInerney paid tribute to his team and said that their constant dedication and professional approach was what won the award for the Galway store. “I believe that the greatest asset of any business is the people who work in it and our business is as good as it is today due to the tremendous team in my store. Our dedicated work force, all strive towards one goal, which is providing the absolute best value, service and range for our customers. ‘Real Food Real People’ is more than just a phrase, for us here in McInerney’s it is something we strive to deliver every day. We are delighted that we have been recognised for our efforts, not only by our customers but by our colleagues throughout the SuperValu network” said Michael.

Congratulating McInerney’s SuperValu, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu said “SuperValu stores work hard to succeed in a very competitive market. However, it is the passion of the independent entrepreneurial retailers and their enthuastic teams that make them succeed in the market today. At SuperValu we strive to be different and better through our brand essence of ‘Real Food Real People’. We pride ourselves on the exceptional value in our stores, the quality of our fresh food offering and the second to none customer service delivered in our stores each day.”

“McInerney’s SuperValu has superb food credentials and is well known in Loughrea for its fresh meat, its BIM accredited seafood counter, its extensive bakery, deli and olive bar range and a fresh food selection which is unrivalled in the market. It is a perfect example of a supermarket that continuously goes that extra mile by supporting their local producers and providing its customers with a product range unmatched by any competitor in the market. This award is a testament to the hard work and absolute commitment of the team at McInerney’s who always strive to provide their customers with a unique shopping experience.”

Speaking at the awards ceremony, Clive Ryan, General Manager, eircom Business, said, “We are delighted to have been part of the SuperValu Store of the Year Awards since 2007.  We commend the investment SuperValu has undertaken in its brands and proposition, and the outstanding innovation that the SuperValu Retail Partners have demonstrated especially in such challenging times. All of the award winners have demonstrated excellence in establishing their own success, and a solid foundation for the future of SuperValu and indigenous grocery retailing in Ireland. The result that the McInerney’s have achieved is a stellar example of this. We at eircom are very proud to be associated with, and to continue to support the success of the SuperValu independent retailer community.“

Cara Sangari, age 6, gets ready for a ‘berry nice’ summer at the launch of SuperValu’s first strawberries of the season. SuperValu, Ireland’s leading independent supermarket, announced today that the first of new season Irish strawberries will go on sale this week. SuperValu alone will account for €5 million worth of fresh Irish strawberry sales in 2011.

Commenting on the announcement, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu, said, “At SuperValu, we are fully committed to supporting local Irish producers and growers. SuperValu’s commitment to investing in local produce guarantees top quality, fresh Irish fruit and vegetables for consumers and resulted in combined Irish retail sales of €1 billion of fresh Irish food in 2010.“

During 2010, Musgrave, owner of the SuperValu brand, made a significant contribution to the Irish economy and Irish suppliers with 75% of all products purchased on behalf of all its retail partners, either produced or manufactured in Ireland. This represents total purchases from Irish suppliers in excess of €2.6 billion at retail level, serving to both create and protect Irish jobs and livelihoods and also sustain the Irish community.

SuperValu, Ireland’s leading independent supermarket network, has announced today that it will add 400 new jobs this year to its 15,000 workforce, with the opening of two new stores and extending and refurbishing a further 34; in an investment programme worth in excess of €25 million. The new stores will be located at Mountmellick, Co. Laois and Manorhamilton, Co Leitrim. This follows SuperValu’s announcement late last week to invest €260 million in bringing additional value to consumers in 2011, with the launch of the second phase of its ‘New Ways To Save Every Day’ campaign, which is being delivered without sacrificing SuperValu’s commitment to Irish suppliers or jobs.

This campaign is aimed at making it easy for shoppers to save on average €35 per week, to help hard pressed families claw back some of the €60, they have lost each week due to the recent austerity measures and increased household costs. In addition to these savings, SuperValu’s Real Rewards loyalty card holders can achieve a further 5 per cent discount on their purchases.

Speaking at SuperValu’s national conference in Killarney, which was attended by over 500 retail partners, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu, said that the company had recorded €2.1 billion in sales in 2010.  In addition, he also revealed that SuperValu continues to perform well, with its market share growing from 19.9 per cent at the end of 2010 to 20.2 per cent currently, while the brand serves in excess of two million customers every week.

Martin Kelleher, SuperValu Managing Director, added, “I am pleased to announce that SuperValu will create 400 new jobs this year, as we continue to meet the changing needs of the Irish consumer, as evidenced by our share growth in the market.

The trading environment in 2011 continues to be extremely difficult, but we are confident we can continue to adapt our offer in response to the budget conscious consumer. We are ideally placed to achieve this as our retail partners own their stores; enabling them to tailor their offer to the communities they serve. We will also be looking to expand via our new stores opening, extension and refurbishment to existing stores and by exploring opportunities with the right retailers who are keen to switch to our brand.“

SuperValu has 192 stores and is the only retailer with a store in every county. SuperValu remains committed to local employment and sourcing from Irish producers. It is the only Irish supermarket with a policy of sourcing and selling only 100 per cent Irish meat and poultry, which is born, bred and reared in Ireland. SuperValu’s commitment to Irish based producers includes sales of over €1 billion worth of fresh Irish food every year. In 2010 the total purchases of Irish goods and services made by SuperValu, was worth over €1.6 billion to the Irish economy, serving to both create and protect almost 300,000 Irish jobs in the farm, food and retail sector.

The manager of O’Kane’s SuperValu Omagh, John Wallace, and his family have raised a whopping £3,500 for the store’s charity partner Action Cancer.

John and his daughters Lisa, Tracy and Emma, along with son Gary recently cycled the 115 miles from Dublin to Omagh, raising sponsorship for the local charity’s Big Bus screening and health promotion unit.

SuperValu and its independent retail partners across Northern Ireland have an award-winning partnership with Action Cancer in support of the charity’s Big Bus – a unique state-of-the-art mobile clinic providing breast screening and cancer prevention services in local communities. SuperValu stores fundraise for the unit throughout the year and host Big Bus visits to their local communities. Almost 22,000 people have used the life-saving services on the Big Bus since it was launched in 2006.

John Wallace commented: “We are delighted that the cycle raised such a great amount of money for the Action Cancer Big Bus and would like to thank everyone who supported our fundraising, including staff and customers at the store, as well as friends and family. It was definitely a challenge, but we all got a lot out of it, including a real sense of achievement that the effort paid off for Action Cancer and that the funds will help them save lives and support people.“

SuperValu unveils €260 million in price investments for hard-pressed shoppers

Earlier today, SuperValu announced it is making a €260 million investment in delivering even more price savings to consumers in 2011, with the launch of the second phase of its ‘New Ways to Save Every Day’ campaign. The campaign is aimed at making it easy for savvy shoppers to save on average €35 per week, to help hard pressed families claw back some of the €60, they have lost each week due to the recent austerity measures and increased household costs.

The savings will be delivered by SuperValu via a combination of increased promotions, meal deals and across its own brand range; allowing consumers to maximise savings right across the store, on items that the average shopper actually buys each week, such as meal components and everyday essentials. The ultimate aim is to put seven easy and nutritional meals on the table, at an affordable price.

Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu said: “We know people are struggling to make ends meet, so at SuperValu we want to make it easy for them to save on their families weekly shopping bill. Our plan is simple; every week we will offer a range of quality meals, delivering savings of approximately €30. The second element of our campaign is to get customers to switch from a small number of branded products to own brand. This automatically delivers savings of approximately 30 per cent as in the example below, where switching five products means you keep another €5.00 in your wallet. Additionally, we are so confident in the quality of this product that if you are not satisfied, we will give it to you for free.

This is a simple solution, but one we know works, as our promotional offer take-up has grown by 25 per cent over the past year, while our own brand sales are up 8.6 per cent since the beginning of 2011. The by-word for shopping in this recession is planning, and if consumers plan their weekly menu by using these key offers, they will make significant savings.  Families want to know that they have a certain number of meals in their basket. By shaping the offer the way we have, we believe we are giving consumers exactly what they want, which is the opportunity to achieve credible and significant savings on a weekly basis, whilst being able to shop to fit their individual requirements and budget. We want to work with the savvy shopper to help them save even more and perhaps add a little bit of inspiration along the way.”

In 2011 SuperValu’s price reductions and offers are set to top €260 million, these will be delivered without sacrificing SuperValu’s commitment to Irish suppliers and Irish jobs. As Ireland’s leading independent supermarket group, employing in excess of 15,000 people across its 192 stores, SuperValu takes great pride in its Irish heritage. This pride is reflected in everything the brand does, from sourcing the freshest Irish food to finding new ways to work with and support independent Irish producers.

The brand is passionate about its commitment to Irish – 75 per cent of everything on SuperValu’s shelves is sourced or produced in Ireland, with purchases in excess of €1.6 billion every year contributing to the Irish economy and indirectly supporting 14,000 jobs in the Irish food sector. For example all of SuperValu’s branded beef, lamb, chicken, pork and bacon is 100 per cent Irish, 65 per cent of our fruit and vegetables is Irish, while 75 per cent of our dairy product is also Irish, adding up to €1 billion worth of fresh produce alone every year.  

Added Kelleher; “SuperValu is a business that prides itself on listening to what the Irish consumer wants and given our market share performance, which has grown from 19.9 to 20.2 per cent in the first twelve weeks of the year, we know we are getting it right. Consumers are voting with their feet and that tells us that our mix of everyday low prices and market leading promotions is exactly what they want.

As always, this investment is being delivered without compromising our support for Irish suppliers, brands and jobs, as has been our commitment all along. No one can match SuperValu’s credentials when it comes to supporting Irish and we will be continuing with this policy going forward.“

Shop smart and save more with Supervalu’s ‘New Ways to Save Everyday’ programme.  Visit your local SuperValu or log onto www.supervalu.ie to plan your next weekly shop and save €35.

Barbican SuperValu, Newcastle, owned by David Heenan, Kelly’s Centra, Trench Road, Derry, owned by David Kelly and Toland’s Mace Waringstown owned by Leon Toland, claimed the top ‘Store of the Year’ titles at last Friday’s Musgrave Retail Partners NI Gala Ball in the La Mon hotel. These awards were hotly contested, with six stores of each brand named finalists, but these three stores set themselves apart to claim the awards.

Downey’s SuperValu Newry, owned by Michael and David Downey was highly commended in the SuperValu Store of the Year award category, while McGoveran’s Centra Malone and Davis and Johnston’s Mace Belmont Road claimed the honours of Centra High Convenience Store of the Year and Mace Store of the Year (under 1,500 sq ft) respectively Monaghan’s Mace, Ederney was also recognised on the night as overall Newcomer of the Year.

Centra Tandragee and SuperValu Ballymoney were also acknowledged on the night with awards for raising the most money for Musgrave’s charity partner Action Cancer in 2010. Centra Tandragee raised £3,100 through staff and customer events and SuperValu Ballymoney raised £14,000, mainly from its annual Action Cancer Golf Classic.

The night went off with a bang when the crowd were entertained by Strictly Come Dancing stars Ian Waite and Natalie Lowe.

This year’s awards were kindly sponsored by Coleraine Cheese, Lucozade Sport Light Orange and Kingsmill Breads.

Musgrave Group has been named as one of Ireland’s ‘Best Managed’ companies in the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards for a third time. First recognised as a Best Managed Company in 2009 and 2010. Musgrave Group demonstrated superior business performance again this year and was recognised at a gala awards dinner in the Burlington Hotel in Dublin on 4 March 2011.

The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme, in association with Irish Life Corporate Business, recognises indigenous Irish companies across the island of Ireland which are operating at the highest levels of business performance. It is the only awards programme that considers companies from every perspective including strategy, capability, commitment, financials and growth potential across all key functions of the business.

Winners of the awards can apply to requalify as a Deloitte Best Managed Company for two consecutive years, following receipt of the award. Companies applying for requalification must satisfy the programme eligibility criteria and go through a requalification review process in order to ensure that they continue to uphold the standard of a Deloitte Best Managed Company.

Commenting on the award, Chris Martin, CEO, Musgrave Group said: “Being named as a Deloitte Best Managed Company again this year is a testament to the great focus and dedication shown by our staff in what has been a challenging year for us all. The quality and commitment of our teams means we are well positioned to trade through this challenging cycle, providing our customers with exceptional service and a great value offering without sacrificing our long standing commitment to Irish suppliers and jobs.“

Commenting on the winners of the Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme, Pat Cullen, Managing Partner, Deloitte and judging panel member said: “Despite the negative sentiment that currently prevails, the Best Managed Companies Awards Programme shows that Irish indigenous companies are a cornerstone of growth in the Irish economy and can and will play an important role in Ireland’s overall recovery. For proof of this, you need look no further than this year’s winners.“

Damian Fadden, Director, Irish Life Corporate Business, and fellow judging panel member said: “Irish Life Corporate Business is delighted to support the Deloitte Best Managed Companies initiative. Ireland’s economic recovery can benefit hugely from the contribution made by its indigenous business sector, and this initiative helps companies in that sector to showcase their success and to benefit from expert mentoring to help them move to the next level. Our staff have met many of the participating companies and have been very impressed with their innovation and determination – on behalf of Irish Life Corporate Business I would like to wish all the companies every success in 2011 and beyond.“

The Deloitte Best Managed Companies Awards Programme is open to companies from all 32 counties on the island of Ireland. It is the only awards programme that considers a business’ performance from every perspective. Details of entry for the 2012 Awards will be issued in the coming weeks on www.deloittebestmanaged.ie.

The ’Best Managed’ designation is an important marketing tool for the winning companies – but, perhaps most importantly, the awards provide a reason to celebrate the efforts of the entire company.

Jeremy Symonds has opened his fifth Londis store. Located on a forecourt in Gloucester, this is one of seven forecourt sites currently owned and operated by Symonds Forecourts in the West Country, including four Londis and two Budgens. They are about to open their third Budgens store on a forecourt in Wells.

‘Captain Jack Sparrow’ was on board to launch the latest Londis site where celebrations for local residents included a live broadcast outside the store from Heart FM plus a free car wash service, free teas and coffees and the chance to win £250 in a free prize draw. The charity launch day also helped to raise over £1,000 for ‘Have a Heart’ and ‘Help for Heroes’.

Says Jeremy Symonds, CEO of Symonds Forecourts: “It’s great to work in partnership with Londis, which is an established brand, and yet we can also add our own flair and local flavour. We’re delighted with our new-look store and more importantly, so are our customers. We’re attracting new people every day.”

The total investment of £100,000 included renovating the Gloucester forecourt site and 2,000 sq ft store. With its new fuel supplier Jet, instead of Texaco, the site is now positioned as the cheapest in Gloucester for fuel.

The main aim for the store was to attract new customers and increase sales of fresh foods. As well as 4m of dairy and cooked meats they’ve added a 1m run of chilled fresh produce plus a new 3m snacking chiller at the front of the store. And with a focus on offering ‘all you need for everyday living’ sales of fresh foods have increased by around 30 per cent since the refit.

The off licence is a key feature in the store and there are now two 3.75m chillers plus 12m of ambient and floor stacks to create a greater impact in this area. The store also boasts a Subway franchise and supports local suppliers, stocking locally-produced sandwiches and cider.

Symonds Forecourts worked in partnership with the Londis store development team on the project, as well as key suppliers. To increase category sales for soft drinks they worked closely with Coca Cola, Red Bull and Danone on layout. And to maximise additional sales at the checkout they implemented Cadbury’s new queue management system, resulting in better-managed queues and boosted confectionery sales.

Trading has been brisk in the first couple of weeks since the launch and the store is on track to reach its budgeted target.

The new Londis store opens 24 hours, seven days a week.

Cancer patients from all over Ireland will benefit from the Musgrave Triathlon, as this year, it has extended its fundraising support further by making a €50,000 donation to Cork Cancer Research Centre.

Cork Cancer Research Centre (CCRC) is an internationally recognised cancer research centre that investigates major issues that concern the origins, progression and treatment across all variants of cancer. Engaging more than 30 scientists and doctors and based in the BioSciences Institute, UCC, Cork, its purpose is to provide the discovery and innovations that may be applied to the prevention of cancer and the development of more effective treatment strategies.

Since its inception in 2002, the annual Musgrave Triathlon has raised a staggering €2.9 million in much needed funds for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital in Crumlin, the Irish Cancer Society and most recently Cork Cancer Research Centre.

Commenting, Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, Musgrave said “To visit Cork Cancer Research Centre today and hear about the tremendous work that is being carried out in terms of research to eradicate this awful disease is inspiring and provides us with great hope for further breakthroughs in the future.

We are delighted to make this donation to CCRC, which demonstrates the tremendous contribution all Triathlon participants and volunteers make towards ensuring this annual event is such an overwhelming success. Community is at the heart of our organisation and each year I am astonished and proud of the support and generosity of our SuperValu and Centra retailers, Musgrave staff and all our suppliers.“

Dr. Declan Soden, Principal Investigator, Cork Cancer Research Centre said, “This contribution from the Musgrave Triathlon makes a significant impact on the work carried out in the centre. To date this is our second largest corporate donation and one we are extremely grateful for.

Not only does this help us continue our research but it also guarantees that we can keep our top class graduates working with us on research that will have a profound effect on the area of cancer treatment in the future. It is amazing to see what one organisation can do with a one day event when there is the commitment and determination of all involved to raise funds for very worthy causes.“