Tag: Investment

Musgrave to ‘redefine convenience’ in Northern Ireland with ambitious expansion plans

Posted on by Musgrave

Owners of SuperValu, Centra, MACE and MarketPlace announce £28million investment, with plans to open up to 20 new stores, creating around 550 jobs

Leading grocery and convenience retailer, Musgrave NI, which owns the SuperValu, Centra, MACE and MarketPlace brands, has announced ambitious plans to open up to 20 new stores in Northern Ireland in 2019, creating around 500 new jobs and revamping an additional 40 stores, as part of a significant £28 million investment.

The ambitious growth strategy is part of Musgrave NI’s vision to ‘redefine convenience’ through the creation of refreshed, inviting, modern stores that challenge the status quo.

The platform for growth for Musgrave NI is built upon an incredibly positive performance in Musgrave Group. Within the Group, turnover grew by almost 4% to €3.9bn last year, with pre-tax profits rising 5.6% to €84.5m. Across the island of Ireland, SuperValu grew sales last year by 1.5% to €2.9bn, with Centra growing 4% to €1.9bn. In Northern Ireland, SuperValu, Centra, MACE and MarketPlace delivered significant growth in 2018, with positive year on year sales growth across all brands.

Commenting on the announcement, Michael McCormack, Managing Director of Musgrave NI said:

“These results provide a solid platform for us to grow our presence in the NI market and we very much leverage our Group strength when it comes to buying, tapping into expertise and adapting concepts that we see working across our business.

“While 2018 was a good year, we know we can’t stand still. Our plans are ambitious but achievable. For us, this is all about how we’ll realise our vision to ‘redefine convenience’ in Northern Ireland.’

“We have been working towards achieving this vision across our SuperValu, Centra and MACE brands; focusing on what matters to our shoppers – bringing healthier, restaurant quality food to convenience and continuously innovating across all aspects of convenience.”

Over the last two years, artisan on-the-go coffee brand, Frank and Honest has been introduced to 110 SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores across Northern Ireland. With over 700 Frank and Honest locations across the island of Ireland, Frank and Honest is now the largest on-the-go coffee brand on the island.

New food concepts including Green Kitchen – a freshly prepared standalone salad bar – has grown significantly, off the back of consumer demand for fresher, healthier options from consumers. The company has also seen success in of its new XO Donuts brand, which it launched in 2018. To date, in excess of 40,000 donuts have been sold.

The 20 new store openings will be made up of a mix of brand new store developments and acquisitions, as Musgrave seeks to convert retailers and buy new sites.

Michael added: “Our aim to redefine convenience is underpinned by our ability to grow our estate across the SuperValu, Centra and MACE brands. That’s why we’ve been extremely active in the market – we’re opening brand new stores – as we’ve done with the recent opening of Gracey’s Centra City Quays, Belfast and in Mallusk, where we are building a new Centra store this year.

“First and foremost, we want to work with the best independent retailers and grow business together. However, as we seek to grow and offer our existing retailers the benefits of scale, we are looking at converting retailers and saying to those that are thinking of selling their business, freehold or leasehold – that we are very much open for business.”

Revamping existing stores within its estate is also a core part of Musgrave’s ongoing investment and growth strategy. Retailers that have completed refresh programmes are demonstrating robust sales growth. There’s an impressive pipeline of recent refreshes – more than 80 in recent years – including Lilley’s Centra at Dublin Road, Enniskillen, Moran’s Centra Strand Road, Derry-Londonderry, Watson’s Centra Cloughey, SuperValu Comber and SuperValu Kings Road. The next refurbishment will take place at SuperValu Lisburn.

Looking to 2019, the Musgrave NI brands will tap into a number of consumer trends and the merging of retail and foodservice to achieve further growth, bringing more new concepts to the Northern Ireland market.

One of those new concepts is Caramico pizza, a concept using authentic pizza ovens to offer a freshly made pizza in-store. It has been rolled out successfully by Musgrave in the Republic of Ireland, driven by a high-quality product that surpasses other established pizza brands. Key to the concept is a ‘for now’ and ‘for later’ offering for consumers. A rotisserie style chicken concept will also be rolled out following successful trials.

Last year, Musgrave celebrated 35 years in business in Northern Ireland, is a committed local employer of over 5,000 people across its business along with a dedicated partner of almost 130 retail families within the province.

Centra store has quays to city convenience

Posted on by Musgrave

Highly anticipated Centra City Quays store set to open on 28th May, following significant £767K investment, creating 15 new jobs

Leading convenience retailer, Centra is set to open its latest new-look store at City Quays, creating 15 new jobs.  Located on the waterfront of City Quays 2 in Belfast Harbour, the brand-new store is part of a significant £767,000 investment by Musgrave and the Gracey family; a well-known local family business, based in Belfast. The new store will open to the public on Tuesday 28th May.

Centra will be the first convenience store to open in the City Quays / Clarendon Dock area, which is currently home to over 5,000 workers. City Quays will eventually provide jobs and homes for 13,000, with City Quays 2 accommodating 1,000 workers.

Spanning 2,615sq ft, the bright and contemporary new store marries high convenience with an expanded food-to-go offering. Amenities in store include Frank & Honest Coffee – the largest gourmet coffee brand on the island of Ireland; a Green Kitchen hot and cold deli, with a plentiful choice of healthy sandwich and salad options, a Mex-a-go Burrito Bar, hot self-serve food-to-go options and self-scanning checkouts. Boasting strong eco-credentials, all Frank and Honest coffee cups and food-to-go packaging will be 100% compostable.

For an enhanced shopping experience, Centra City Quays also features a seating area and complimentary Wi-Fi, providing customers with a dedicated space to dine-in and take a break. The unit will also include a covered terrace for waterfront dining and direct access to the river Lagan walk and cycleway that connects City Quays to Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.

The store is the latest addition to the Gracey family’s portfolio, which also includes two MACE stores at Newtown Park and The Gasworks. Next week’s opening builds on the family’s estate, which was established by leading retailer, Tony Gracey over two decades ago. Today, his daughter Anna and son Stephen are at the helm of this latest addition to the family business.

Commenting ahead of the opening, Anna McErlean said: “Our business was founded by our father Tony Gracey 22 years ago. At one point, he had 10 stores, before deciding to consolidate the business in 2010 to two stores – Mace Newton Park and Mace Gasworks. 

“I joined the business around seven years ago; I had just completed my law degree at Queen’s University and thought it would be a good opportunity for me to learn that side of the business before deciding my career path – I never left. My brother Stephen joined the business in 2018 after four years working in retail business development. Our passion for the business and customer-centric approach has at the heart of our recent successful refit of our Gasworks store and the opening of our new store at City Quays. 

“Our father Tony has decided to take more of a back seat, with Stephen and I now at the forefront of the business today. Together we are proud to mark another milestone as we open our new Centra store at City Quays, bringing significant investment to the local area. We are proud of our roots in the Belfast retail space and are proud to bring further employment to the city.”

 Nigel Maxwell, Centra Sales Director added: “We are delighted to support the Gracey family in this exciting new venture, which brings significant investment to Belfast. One of our core objectives is to work with our retailers with a joint aim to redefine convenience for the consumer. The new Centra City Quays store does just this; bringing an exciting and fresh retail concept to the area that will be matched by the first-class customer service synonymous with the Gracey family name.”

 “We are confident that our new look Centra stores offer customers an enhanced shopping experience, where they can get value for money, without compromising on quality. We are sure this new look store will be a great addition to City Quays, which features a vibrant business and residential community.”

 Graeme Johnston, Belfast Harbour’s Property Director, said: “With over 5,000 workers already based in the area, further offices underway and the Marriott hotel now open, this is a significant opportunity for Centra.

“As part of the procurement process to secure a retailer we surveyed existing workers in City Quays. They wanted access to a wide range of quality, fresh produce that supported healthier lifestyles – Centra’s modern take on convenience and coffee was a perfect fit.

“City Quays has already become a natural extension of the City Centre.  With the waterfront walkway and attractions such as the Marriott hotel and now Centra, we expect even greater numbers of people to visit and enjoy this new part of Belfast.”

Musgrave announces profit of €84.5 million for Financial Year 2018

Posted on by hs783jdla

10th May – Musgrave today announced results for the financial year ended 29 December 2018, with turnover up 3.8% to €3.9 billion and profit before tax of €84.5 million, a 5.6% increase on the previous year.  Net assets were €410 million, an increase of €79 million on 2017 and the business ended the year with net cash of €16 million.

Commenting, Chris Martin, Musgrave Chief Executive said:
“2018 has been another successful year for Musgrave. Despite very competitive markets, for the fourth year in a row we have reported increased profit, with all our brands performing well and growing.  Our performance underlines the success of our Growing Good Business strategy, which is on track to deliver long-term growth. Through this strategy, we are successfully evolving our business to provide people with unique food experiences when, where and how they want them.  This is being delivered through investment in digital, a focus on innovation and with our retail partners who are responsive to the local needs of shoppers. We are pleased that our recent acquisitions, La Rousse Foods and Donnybrook Fair, which we acquired in 2018, are performing well and we continue to explore further acquisition opportunities.”

Business Review
Musgrave’s Growing Good Business strategy has seen the business grow its existing brands, create new brands and look for opportunities to build or acquire businesses in new and emerging sectors of the food industry. We are setting up the business for the long-term to realise opportunities in a growing food market across the island of Ireland estimated to be worth in excess of €30 billion and set to rise to €37 billion by 2025.

As Ireland’s largest private sector employer our brands underline our commitment to innovation and our entrepreneurial culture.  SuperValu and Centra both celebrate their 40th anniversary this year. SuperValu was Ireland’s first supermarket brand and has gone from strength to strength, recording a new retail sales milestone of €2.9 billion across the island of Ireland in 2018.

SuperValu provides value, great quality Irish produce and a differentiated offer which aligns with the changing expectations that consumers have of grocery retail particularly in the areas of health and sustainability.  In 2018 this included the roll-out of dedicated vegetarian/vegan zones across SuperValu stores, the introduction of fully compostable and biodegradable bags and the piloting of a living herb wall concept, giving shoppers the option to pick their own fresh produce from the plant, while reducing packaging and food waste.

In 2018 Centra performed strongly and has redefined the convenience market by focusing on unique food experiences and fresh, healthy food-to-go products, as the breakfast roll makes way for healthy alternatives like Cold Pressed Turmeric Shots and Paleo Superbowls. With retail sales of €1.9 billion in 2018, Centra is now globally recognised as the future of convenience grocery shopping.

In the symbol market, our Daybreak brand continues to perform strongly with 17 new stores added in 2018 bringing the total to 237 stores.  The new brand format includes the introduction of three new sub-brands – Munch and Co. deli; 9 Grams coffee and Lickety Split ice cream providing shoppers with a diverse offering throughout the day.

Our wholesale and foodservice business continues to flourish with sales in 2018 up 13 percent to €0.6 billion. Musgrave MarketPlace has evolved from a cash and carry concept into Ireland’s leading wholesale business for retailers and a one-stop shop for the country’s growing hospitality sector.  The acquisition of fine food specialist La Rousse Foods has allowed us to broaden our presence in the restaurant market, sourcing and supplying the highest quality produce for Ireland’s top chefs. We are now able to service every area of the hospitality and foodservice sector across the island of Ireland with more than 1,800 products; from basic everyday items, to premium, artisan and locally sourced produce.

Musgrave’s Spanish business performed well with sales of €190 million in 2018 benefiting from the addition of two new Dialprix stores during the year and the recent opening of a new cash & carry outlet in the South East region of Spain.

We continue to see international opportunities and we are exploring more partnerships similar to our export agreement with Alosra, where we have responded to increasing demand for great quality own brand products.

In 2018 we continued to innovate with new brands and ranges. Building on the success of Frank & Honest, which is now the largest coffee brand in Ireland, we established new brands including Moo’d – an ice cream brand that combines the best Irish dairy and Italian ingredients; Caramico – a premium pizza range which will be freshly cooked in stone-based ovens in-store at select Centra stores; and Green Kitchen – a new brand that allows customers to create their own salads from a wide selection of fresh ingredients.

We also completed the acquisition of Donnybrook Fair in 2018 as part of our focus on identifying new growth opportunities. Donnybrook Fair supports our strategy of building brands that provide people with unique food experiences at home and out of home and it strengthens our presence in the growing Dublin food market.

Outlook
While the Irish economy remains robust, there are a series of international factors including Brexit that could have a negative effect on consumer confidence here in Ireland.  We have been systematically planning for Brexit for the last two years in order to minimize the impact on shoppers, support our retailers and protect our business. Our ambition remains to become the undisputed number one in grocery retail and wholesale across the island of Ireland.

In this evolving retail and food environment, there has never been a better time to be part of independent retailing and our partners are benefitting as they adapt and react to consumer needs and changing food trends. With their local approach and community insight, coupled with our expertise in brand innovation, we have a winning combination that works today, and give us confidence as we look to the future.

 

SuperValu creates 70 jobs and invests €12 million in new Dunboyne store

Posted on by Musgrave
SuperValu has created 70 new jobs as part of a €12 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art, 15,200 sq ft store in Dunboyne, Co Meath. Nally’s Dunboyne store is operated by local entrepreneurs Steven and Michael Nally of the Nally Group, who also own and run SuperValu stores in Trim and Celbridge. Pictured at the launch of the new store are (far left) Martin Kelleher, Managing Director, SuperValu with members of the Nally family – Steven Nally, Michael Nally, Carmel Nally (mother of Steven and Michael Nally), and Steven’s son Nathan Nally – reflecting three generations involved in the business – a rare sight in the grocery retail landscape today.

SuperValu has created 70 new jobs as part of a €12 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art, 15,200 sq ft store in Dunboyne, Co Meath. Nally’s Dunboyne store will anchor an overall 25,000 sq ft new town centre development which incorporates four adjacent units, office accommodation and Frank and Honest cafe, Ireland’s number one gourmet coffee brand.

SuperValu Dunboyne is operated by local entrepreneurs Steven and Michael Nally of the Nally Group, who also own and run SuperValu stores in Trim and Celbridge. The new store was opened today by Carmel Nally, the mother of Steven and Michael Nally, and Steven’s son Nathan – reflecting three generations involved in the business – a rare sight in the grocery retail landscape today.

The state-of-the-art Dunboyne store includes a scratch bakery; deli counter offering a large salad and cold meat selection; rotisserie, fish and butcher counter with fully qualified butchers to share their top tips and advice on choosing the best cuts for any dish.

Reflecting consumers’ evolving shopping habits, the Dunboyne store incorporates a vegetarian and vegan dedicated zone, as well as providing a health and wellness section. Nally’s Dunboyne also offers free customer Wi-Fi and will operate an online click and collect service to provide added convenience for the modern time pressed consumer.

Commenting at the official opening of the SuperValu Dunboyne store, Steven Nally said: “Having grown up in the area, we are delighted to open this state-of-the-art store to serve the local community. It is a huge vote of confidence in the local economy and it is a proud moment to create 70 new jobs in Dunboyne. We are confident that our store, range and team will make a real difference to the people of Dunboyne and its surrounding areas.”

Martin Kelleher, SuperValu Managing Director, added: “The opening of the new store in Dunboyne is part of an ambitious expansion programme, which will see SuperValu expand our network this year with three new stores and 30 revamps. SuperValu Dunboyne is a standout store in this regard, highlighting how we bring the best of Irish food together with unrivalled service because the store is owned by local business people who know what the community wants. Steven and Michael Nally are an entrepreneurial family who have built a network now of five SuperValu stores (Celbridge, Kilcock, Maynooth, Trim and Dunboyne), highlighting what can be achieved when an Irish SME goes up against international competitors thanks to a tailored local service and a focus on buying local.”

SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and has 220 stores nationwide. Together with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500 colleagues, making it one of the State’s largest private sector employers. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.

SuperValu to open three new stores and create 210 jobs in 2019 as part of €30m investment programme

Posted on by Musgrave

25th February 2018 – Ireland’s leading grocery retailer SuperValu recorded a new sales milestone of €2.724 billion in 2018. Adding to this SuperValu plans to expand its network by opening three new stores in 2019, creating 210 new jobs in the process, and revamping 30 additional stores as part of a €30 million investment programme.

A key trend in 2018 was the continued growth in SuperValu’s online shopping service, with 25% year-on-year growth in online sales and an additional 26,000 new customers using the service. The retailer also invested substantially in its Real Rewards loyalty programme, with membership growing to 1.2 million people.

Building on its reputation for food leadership, SuperValu’s Signature Taste premium range was a standout line for the retailer, growing sales by over 10% on the previous year. This can be attributed to shoppers looking for an award-winning premium own band range. The range currently features over 330 products with another 40 expected to hit the shelves in 2019.

One of the key sales trends last year was increasing consumer demand for health and wellness-related products. For example, SuperValu now boosts a health and wellness aisle in all stores with a range of over 1,000 products. It also introduced a range of over 340 vegan products to meet consumer demand and has begun rolling out dedicated Vegetarian/Vegan zones across stores as part of its ongoing strategy to differentiate the brand from its competition.

In 2018, SuperValu became the first retailer in Ireland to introduce fully compostable and biodegradable bags for produce, along with increasing their loose range of fruit and veg. The grocery retailer followed this up by becoming the first national grocery retailer to introduce 100% compostable coffee cups through all Frank and Honest stations in its stores. These form part of a broader strategy to reduce packaging and make 100% of SuperValu’s Own Brand and fresh produce packaging become recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.

Speaking at the SuperValu conference in the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, Co. Kerry, SuperValu Managing Director Martin Kelleher said: “We continue to build on our food leadership credentials and further establish SuperValu as a destination shop by responding to consumer trends and shopping requirements both in-store and online. We plan to build our momentum in 2019 with a €30 million investment programme, which will see three new stores opened and an existing 30 stores revamped as we continue to rollout new shopping concepts such as Vegetarian and Vegan zones, new salad bars and health and wellness aisles, adding both theatre and on trend ranges for the new shoppers evolving tastes.”

SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and has 219 stores nationwide. Together with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500 colleagues, making it one of the State’s largest private sector employers. SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the Irish economy.

 

Centra delivers record sales of €1.63bn in 2018 with plans to open 25 new stores

Posted on by hs783jdla

25 new stores to open, along with 80 revamps, as part of an €35 million investment;
Centra continues to redefine the convenience market as the breakfast roll makes way for healthy alternatives like Cold Pressed Turmeric Shots and Paleo Superbowls;

4th February 2018 – Ireland’s leading convenience retailer Centra registered a new record in 2018 after hitting sales of €1.63 billion, an increase of 3.6% year on year, further cementing the brand’s position as number one in the convenience market.

The convenience retailer plans to build on this momentum by opening 25 new stores across the country this year, as well as refreshing 80 stores, as part of a €35 million investment, which will see 375 jobs added to the Centra network. The revamp programme will see Centra rolling out the latest thinking in the convenience market that will meet new trends and provide shoppers with a seamless shopping experience.

The launch of the retailer’s new premium “Inspired by” Centra range last July, which includes products like Cold Pressed Turmeric Shots and Paleo Superbowls, reflects the evolving taste of the Irish consumer who is more health conscious and looks for premium products. Since its launch last July, the range has already recorded €6.3 million in sales and it continues to grow rapidly.

The Frank and Honest gourmet coffee offering available in Centra has been a real success, quickly establishing itself as the number one coffee brand in Ireland and recording a 40% growth in coffee volume in 2018. Frank and Honest’s popularity has been further built upon with the launch of capsule and whole bean ranges for the at home market, a range of coffee accessories and the roll out of instore cafes.

Building on its successful introduction of new brands, this year Centra is rolling out a new ice cream brand – Moo’d – to over 200 stores, adding a further seven products to the range and launching new take-home packs in three flavours. Combining the best Irish dairy and Italian ingredients, a unique delicious ice-cream range has been created to offer a contemporary take on an Irish favourite.

Speaking at the Centra conference at the Great Southern Hotel in Killarney, Martin Kelleher, Centra Managing Director, said: “Our record sales performance is testament to the dedication of over 463 Centra store owners across the country who provide market leading stores in convenient locations and our ongoing investment in shaping the future of the convenience market. Responding to consumers, retailers and market trends, Centra has developed a healthier offering and innovative range unrivaled by competitors. We plan to continue our expansion through new initiatives like our Inspired by Centra luxury range, Moo’d ice cream and Frank and Honest Coffee along with driving innovation across all areas of the store.”

“In the past, convenience stores would have been synonymous with the breakfast roll but walking into a Centra today illustrates how the concept has been revolutionized with products like Cold Press Tumeric Shots and Paleo Salads. We aim to stay one step ahead of the competition in this respect by ensuring we stay close to the modern Irish consumer who is looking for health alternatives, innovative ranges and great quality food for those short on time”.

With over 463 stores, Centra employs almost 11,000 people and serves over three million customers per week. Centra invests more than €240 million in local communities per annum, which is the equivalent of €4.5 million per week through a combination of payments to local suppliers, acquisition of local business services, wages, charitable donations and local sponsorships.

SuperValu King’s Road gets £430k revamp

Posted on by Musgrave

‘Phenomenal’ store open to the public

SuperValu King’s Road, which first opened in 1996, has undergone a massive £430k revamp which has totally transformed the store and created 8 new jobs.

The major investment by leading retailer Musgrave, owners of SuperValu, comprises a new hot and cold deli which serves up a mouth-watering selection of food, an upgraded butchery area with great value deals and the incredible gourmet coffee, Frank and Honest.

The major new development promises to cater for every type of customer; from local residents collecting their weekly essentials, to the busy office worker seeking healthy but convenient lunch and dinner alternatives.

The King’s Road store manager, Raymond Barr, said: “Along with an abundance of fresh, local produce, SuperValu King’s Road also showcases additional convenience store concepts including a Post Office which is essential for some of our customers who don’t want the hassle of travelling into the city centre. We also have a free to use ATM machine and a free home delivery service which is very popular.

“We believe in working with local food and drink producers and are proud to be stocking sweets from Aunt Sandra’s, Bells’ Tea and a range from Kirk’s Home Bakery, to name a few, and our red meat is all sourced from Northern Ireland.”

The feedback from customers about the east Belfast store has been positive with one person describing it as, ‘phenomenal’, explained Raymond Barr.

“I’ve spoken to as many customers as I can and the feedback about the changes we have made has been incredibly encouraging with one customer describing the store as, phenomenal. We can’t wait to welcome even more customers, new and old, to our new-look store.

“We strive to provide customers with convenient, inspiring shopping solutions, by combining high quality products and exceptional value. It’s imperative to us that our customers enjoy the traditional values of outstanding customer service and good quality, fresh foods, paired with competitive pricing.

“With additional amenities including a post office, free ATM and a free home delivery service we are responding to the changing needs of the busy consumer by providing solutions that help to make life easier.

“On behalf of myself and the rest of the team at King’s Road we’d like to thank all of our customers for their continued support.”

For further information log onto www.supervalu.co.uk

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