- €10.7m has been invested in the Musgrave MarketPlace brand over the past two years to deliver a modern customer experience
- €2.5m Robinhood Food Emporium unveiled today
- New food brochure launched with 400 new products in line with the latest food trends, including 260 new health and wellness products
- New online ‘always-open’ shopping experience provides customers with added convenience
Musgrave MarketPlace, Ireland’s leading wholesale supplier to retail, foodservice and SME businesses, today officially unveiled a €2.5m upgrade of its Robinhood branch in Dublin. Today’s launch forms part of a €10.7m investment in the brand over the past two years which has seen Musgrave MarketPlace continue to redefine wholesale on the island of Ireland.
The relaunch of the Musgrave MarketPlace brand began last November with the opening of the flagship €2.2 Ballymun Food Emporium. Over €1m has also been invested in its Duncrue branch in Belfast and further refurbishments are planned for 2018.
The revamped branches have been transformed into Food Emporiums offering customers a more modern and interactive shopping experience. Each revamped branch contains speciality counters for meat, cheese and fish, as well as expert advice in-store and an expanded product range to cater to the changing tastes of its customers.
The new 73,000 square foot Robinhood Food Emporium employs 80 staff and along with new state-of-the-art speciality areas, it also has a contemporary culinary theatre. Tailored classes will be hosted in this area by a full time onsite chef with a view to creating menu solutions for its customers.
Four new roles have been created at Robinhood to ensure customers can avail of expert information and advice from trusted advisors. These roles feature in the areas of fresh food, alcohol and equipment, along with a new in-branch butcher to advise on specific cuts of meat.
Alongside the newly revamped branches, some €5m has been invested into technology, the supply chain and marketing to enhance the overall customer experience.
As part of this ongoing investment, Musgrave MarketPlace has relaunched its food brochure ‘The Food People’ to offer customers even more choice. The new brochure features 400 new products which have been carefully selected based on food trends from around the world, ensuring that customers have access to the widest range and quality of products. The brochure is available both in hard copy and digital format.
In line with the growing demand for more health and wellness products, the latest edition includes 260 ‘free from’ products which feature in its gluten free section. The ‘free from’ range is categorised as products that do not contain gluten or dairy, as well as healthy alternative snacks. Sales in this category have grown by over 80% in the last three years and it is anticipated that this figure will increase further by the end of the year as more restaurants, hotels and shops begin to offer gluten and lactose-free alternatives.
Musgrave MarketPlace’s online platform Musgravemarketplace.ie has also been re-developed to offer a flexible and ‘always-open’ shopping experience for customers. The upgraded web store has been designed with the specific goal of saving customers time by remembering previous orders and favourite products. Another key feature is the ‘Retail Must Stock’ section which uses current Nielsen data to provide customers with details on products that are seen as ‘must-haves’ for Irish retailers. Placing an order is now easier than ever. Customers can purchase in-store, online, via click and collect or over the phone.
Commenting on Musgrave MarketPlace’s investment in the Irish market, Mr Noel Keeley, Managing Director of Musgrave MarketPlace, said:
“As a company, we understand that the business of food and drink is constantly evolving and we know that it is vital that we continue to innovate to cater to our customers changing needs. We have listened to our customers and have responded to bring them a best-in-class experience which will in turn will allow them to deliver excellence within their businesses.”
“As well as totally transforming our branches into Food Emporiums, we have expanded our product offering and have made it easier than ever to place an order. Today’s opening in Robinhood is part of the exciting journey that our brand is on and we look forward to welcoming both existing and new customers through the doors from today.”
