Irish fuel retailer Applegreen has expanded its partnership with Marks & Spencer and will open 20 new M&S Food stores this year.
Applegreen has earmarked a ‘multimillion-euro’ budget to support the expansion, with each new ‘shop-in-shop’ location receiving customised upgrades to incorporate the M&S brand.
The new additions will take the total number of M&S Food stores operated by the forecourt retailer in Ireland to 41.
The partners plan to expand this network to 60 outlets in the medium term.
The first of the new M&S Food outlets at Applegreen opened in Ennis earlier this month, at the forecourt retailer’s Limerick Road location.
Mark Ryan, head of M&S at Applegreen, stated, “The expansion of our M&S Food partnership is one of the key elements of our growth plans in the Irish market, alongside further investment in our Braeburn Coffee brand, and significant investment in new and upgraded sites.
“We have a hugely dedicated Applegreen team working on our plans to deliver another 20 new M&S stores, and we also have significant support from our partners in M&S.”
Store Highlights
Each new outlet will offer more than 400 quality M&S Food products, complementing the existing Applegreen business.
The range will include ready-meal options for lunch and dinner, sandwiches, and fresh fruit, salads and flowers.
Popular favourites – such as Percy Pig sweets, M&S cookies, and Colin the Caterpillar cakes – will be available in store, the retailer added.
The new M&S outlets at Applegreen will also offer a click-and-collect service for M&S clothing and select home product ranges.
Eddie Murphy, country director for M&S in Ireland and Northern Ireland, stated, “We’re bringing our trusted quality and delicious M&S Food range to even more locations, offering great value and convenience as part of this growing partnership with Applegreen.”
Applegreen
Applegreen opened its first service station in Ballyfermot, in Dublin, in 1992 and has since expanded to more than 500 locations in Ireland, the UK, and the US.
The fuel retailer, which employs around 16,000 people, recently unveiled plans to invest €1 billion over the next five years to expand its business in the three locations.
It operates in approximately 200 locations in Ireland, while in the UK, its Welcome Break business comprises 59 sites, including 35 motorway service areas and 31 hotels.
The company is also planning an €85 million investment to further expand its EV-charging network.
Currently, Applegreen’s exclusive partnership with M&S Food comprises 22 stores.
