Convenience retailer Centra will open 18 new shops and revamp 35 existing stores this year as part of a €23m expansion programme.
It is expected that 468 new jobs will be created with the investment, bringing the total number of people employed by the Musgrave-owned group to over 12,000. The company invested €25m in its estate, including the refurbishment of 33 outlets, last year.
Centra recorded sales of close to €2bn across in 2022, an increase of 17% on 2019 levels, while processing 167m consumer transactions.
Sales of on-the-go breakfast and lunch options rose 13% year-on-year as more employees returned to offices. Lunchtime deli sales alone increased 11% while sales of Frank and Honest coffee were up 7% and bakery items 8%.
The company also saw sales of its own-brand ranges increase 10.3% and its Centra Freshly Prepared Range grow 10% year-on-year in light of cost-of-living challenges, with people more frequently choosing to dine in.
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"Our in-depth understanding of the role of convenience in shopping decisions saw us adapt to the schedules of our time-poor shopper, meeting their needs at each hour of the day. Today’s customers are shopping little and often and Centra is the perfect solution to meet this trend," said Ian Allen, managing director of Centra.
"With nearly 500 stores, Centra is Ireland’s leading convenience retailer operating in every community across the country and is well-placed as a destination for top-up shopping.
"The breadth, scale and value offered through our Centra stores ensures that we can continue to meet the changing daily needs of our customers on their doorstep."
Allen added: "We are also cognisant that these are challenging times, with increased living costs and rising inflation.
"We’re continuously adapting to meet our customers’ needs and I would like to thank them for their loyalty, as well as our retail partners in every community across Ireland for the role they have played in delivering this relentless value and service.”
During the current quarter, Centra expects to expand its trial same-day delivery partnership with Just Eat and Deliveroo to six further locations, adding to the 34 outlets in which it launched in 2022.
The company's Moo'd ice cream brand saw sales growth of 13% last year, and sales of items produced through its partnership with The Happy Pear, including soups, meals and cereals, rose 21%.
Centra stores are also undergoing sustainability upgrades at present, with 200 outlets having availed of the €25m Musgrave Sustainability Fund, launched last year, and achieving 1,714 in carbon reductions to date.
Through the fund, Centra stores can avail of funding for LED lighting, refrigeration and freezer upgrades, electronic shelf edge labels (eSELs), solar panels, and electric delivery vans.
Photo: Ian Allen. (Pic: Jason Clarke)
