Convenience retailer Centra, part of Ireland's Musgrave Group, has posted a 4% increase in sales in full-year 2019, to €1.7 billion.
The retailer said that on the back of its strong performance last year, it will open 20 new stores this year, creating 480 jobs.
It also plans to continue an ongoing store refurbishment programme, which has seen the rollout of the Frank & Honest coffee brand across Ireland, as well as Moo'd, an in-store ice cream concept.
The group said that its 'Inspired By' premium private label offering saw sales grow by double digits last year, while the overall hot food-to-go category saw a 13% increase in sales.
Brand Repositioning
“Centra continued to go from strength to strength in 2019, benefiting from the brand repositioning a number of years ago to transform the convenience store experience," commented Martin Kelleher, Centra managing director (pictured).
“People increasingly view Centra as a destination shop, so we’re seeing increased footfall as groups of consumers eat together in-store or do top-up shops for dinner. We continue to surpass shoppers’ expectations by rolling out new innovative and healthy ranges and working hard to ensure our customers have a great experience in our stores."
Centra boasts 473 stores across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, and employs approximately 11,000 people.
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