Musgrave Group is set to open its first Centra store outside of Ireland, in Qatar, while also planning to launch its Frank and Honest coffee chain internationally.
The Qatar outlet is set to open 'early next year', Musgrave chief executive Noel Keeley explained in an interview with the Sunday Independent, in which he discussed the future plans for the Irish retailer and wholesaler.
Musgrave Group had initially unveiled that it was in talks with a partner in Qatar about bringing its brands to the Gulf States in November 2019, before the pandemic hit.
Musgrave Group reported sales of €6.1 billion last year, up €700 million on the previous year. Its SuperValu brand accounted for €3.4 billion worth of sales, while the Centra banner reported €2.2 billion in sales. Profit before tax was up 11%.
'A Year Like No Other'
Keeley, who assumed the position of CEO at the start of 2020, told the paper that his first year at the helm was "a year like no other", with the positive results generated by the business helped by the group's positioning among local communities around Ireland.
"There is no doubt that because of out business model and because our retailers are in local communities, that when people were restricted in terms of how far they could go, they rediscovered local shopping," he told the paper.
"I think we have managed to hold on to some of the shoppers in 2021, and we have every intention of keeping them as well."
He estimated that following the lifting of COVID-related lockdowns, the Irish grocery market is down by around 4% year-on-year, with Musgrave down between 2% and 2.5%. This year, the group has added 18 new stores to its portfolio.
Shopping Destination
The group plans to develop its SuperValu brand as a "shopping destination", with a new store in Knocklyon, Dublin, set to showcase its new positioning, Keeley added. Elsewhere, its Centra brand, which is already working with Just Eat in selected locations, is set to bolster its 'quick commerce' offering, while its Musgrave Wholesale operation is aiming to have 60% of its business transacted digitally by 2026.
"I believe we are a business that will continue to evolve and innovate," Keeley told the paper. "The next evolution for us is our digital transformation – and we will continue to invest to stay ahead."
© 2021 European Supermarket Magazine. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. For more Retail news, click here. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
