Musgrave Group-owned Irish retailer SuperValu posted record sales of €2.67 billion in 2016, announcing plans to open three new stores this year and create 190 new jobs.
Martin Kelleher, managing director of the chain, said, “Our latest record performance, of €2.67 billion in sales in 2016 – an increase of 2.4% over the previous year – demonstrates consumers’ positive response to our fresh-food leadership and ongoing commitment to innovation.
"As Ireland’s leading food retailer, we pride ourselves on delivering an unrivalled shopping experience, with a unique and tailored offer of locally sourced, quality Irish produce, complemented by in-store experts. SuperValu independent retailers continue to set us apart and drive the success of the brand.”
Kelleher added that SuperValu has more than 2,200 Irish suppliers, equal to an economic boost of €2.19 billion.
Best Of Fresh
The retailer's online sales grew by 22% on the previous year, with 180% more shoppers visiting the SuperValu website on their mobile devices.
Its health and wellness range, consisting of such items as vitamins, minerals, sports-nutrition products and wholefoods, contributed sales of more than €36 million. The company said that other innovations, such as its traceable, premium 100% Irish pork range, also helped boost its performance.
SuperValu added that its fresh-food leadership strategy, 'bringing the best of fresh, quality Irish produce to consumers, with a tailored local offer in every store,' was also a key performance driver. Through the Food Academy initiative with Bord Bia, SuperValu has listed over 300 small Irish food producers in its stores, supporting more than 1,100 jobs and contributing sales of €25 million.
SuperValu serves more than 2.6 million customers weekly, operating 219 stores in the country.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Karen Henderson. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
