SuperValu this morning announced it recorded retail sales of €2.1bn in 2013, a one per cent increase on the previous year’s figures. It also grew its market share in 2013, finishing the year with a 20.1 per cent share of the market. This growth has continued into 2014 with recent Kantar figures showing SuperValu continuing to increase its share.
Since the name change of the 24 Superquinn stores earlier this month, SuperValu now has a combined market share of 25.2 per cent and is the largest Irish grocery brand in the country. This builds on the momentum behind the SuperValu brand which has grown 30 per cent over the past 10 years.
In Dublin alone, SuperValu’s market share has increased to almost 22 per cent where it now has 44 stores, positioning the company well in terms of the ongoing population growth that will continue on the east coast over the coming years.
The expanded SuperValu network consists of 223 stores, employing 14,500 employees and handling 2.6 million transactions a week.
SuperValu plans to open three new stores in 2014 as part of a €7m investment by its independent retail partners, which will result in the creation of 210 jobs. A further €12m will also be invested in the expansion and refurbishment of 45 stores this year. This comes on top of the €20m in-store investment programme in the former Superquinn network, which was announced earlier this year.
Commenting at the SuperValu national conference in Killarney today, Martin Kelleher, managing director of SuperValu, said: “SuperValu’s success can be attributed to putting the customer first, investing in quality and staying true to our roots in communities across Ireland. Customers are voting with their feet as evidenced by the latest Kantar research that shows that 30,000 new customers shopped with SuperValu over the past 12 weeks.
“We have delivered value to consumers by investing in price reductions and the development of our Own Brand range. Our Own Brand range has proven highly popular with customers, with sales increasing by nine per cent last year and it has accumulated over 40 Great Taste and Blas Na hEireann Awards.”
The managing director continued: “SuperValu continues to source locally wherever possible and since the Superquinn name change now purchases almost €2bn worth of goods from Irish suppliers, which helps to sustain 30,000 jobs in the economy. We stock 100 per cent fresh Irish meat – beef, pork, chicken and lamb – which is born, bred and reared in Ireland. As part of our on-going investment in quality, SuperValu was the first retailer in Ireland to adopt the National DNA Traceback Programme for Bacon and Hurley’s SuperValu in Midleton was the first store in the country to secure the Bord Bia Quality Assured Butcher Counter.
“Our retailers paid out €220m in wages and contributed millions more to communities through spending with local firms and charitable contributions. All of this keeps more money in the local community, helping to make vibrant places for all of us to live in and shop.”