Superquinn Stores to be renamed as Supervalu

SuperValu is also currently implementing a €20 million in-store investment programme which will see the former Superquinn network upgraded with a new focus on service, range, quality and value. This is in addition to €10 million invested during 2013.

The expanded SuperValu network will now consist of 223 stores with a turnover of €2.6 billion, employing 14,500 employees and handling 2.6 million transactions a week. One in four Irish consumers will shop in SuperValu stores during 2014. With a total of 42 stores and 22% market share in Dublin, SuperValu will also bring real competition to the capital.

The name change follows an excellent performance by SuperValu over the Christmas period when it was the top performing supermarket with its market share increasing to 20.1% for the last 12 weeks of 2013. This growth is consistent with SuperValu’s performance over the past ten years, during which time it has grown by 30% and achieved annual retail sales of just over €2 billion.

Commenting on the announcement, Martin Kelleher, SuperValu Managing Director, said: "Today marks one of the most exciting developments in Irish retailing. Combining SuperValu and Superquinn brings together the best of both brands. Since announcing our plans to rename Superquinn as SuperValu in August, the consumer response has been very positive demonstrating that both brands are better together. Superquinn shoppers have really bought into the quality and value SuperValu offers. We are also keeping all that is great from Superquinn’s heritage. We have made the Superquinn sausage available across the SuperValu network nationwide and we are now selling twice as many as before - 30 tonnes of sausages every week. In addition, the award-winning SuperValu Own Brand range is three times the size of what was previously available at Superquinn. The consumer response has been fantastic with own brand sales doubling in only three months."

"Looking forward we believe that consumers are looking for more than just value - they also want fantastic quality, excellent service and an innovative experience. We will leverage SuperValu’s reputation for fresh food leadership to offer unrivalled quality. For example, we are the only retailer in Ireland to stock 100% fresh Irish meat - beef, pork, chicken and lamb. We are also investing in technology to ensure we stay close to our customers. We were the first retailer in Ireland to introduce a transactional shopping app. Some of our future plans will include trialing a drive-through click and collect service in a number of our stores. We will also continue to invest in the former Superquinn network and are rolling out a €20 million store refurbishment programme for this year," concluded Martin.

Combining SuperValu and Superquinn will further consolidate SuperValu’s position as the number one supporter of the Irish food industry. 75 percent of all products in SuperValu and Superquinn stores are sourced from, or produced by, an Irish supplier which equates to a contribution of over €1.95 billion to the Irish economy helping to sustain 30,000 jobs.