Musgrave has revealed that it is investing £3.2m in the rejuvenation of four SuperValu stores in Northern Ireland.
The first of the four company-owned stores launched on Friday last week in Portstewart. Musgrave invested £1.1m in the store which now hosts a new hot and cold deli counter, a Moo’d Ice Cream bar and expanded in-store bakery. The revitalised store also now has a “one-of-a-kind” off-licence stocking wine, beer and spirits as well as a dedicated ‘Zero Zone’ with a range of alcohol-free drinks options.
Currently undergoing a £600,000 transformation, the group’s Dairy Farm store in Dunmurry will be the next revitalised store to re-launch, closely followed in September by Portglenone, which is receiving a £720,000 makeover and Omagh, which will launch later in the year following an investment of £730,000.
Aligning with Musgrave NI’s sustainability commitments, the stores will be powered using green electricity and feature digital screens, energy-efficient LED lighting and energy-efficient refrigeration systems as the group works to achieve its net zero ambition by 2040. In addition, the introduction of electronic shelf edge labels to the stores will save a combined total of 28,000 sheets of paper per year.
Caroline Rowan, Head of Retail Operations at Musgrave Northern Ireland, said: “Our rejuvenated SuperValu stores are truly stores of the future. In addition to the £2.7m sustainability fund Musgrave NI has committed to empower SuperValu and Centra retailers become net zero by 2040, we have also invested £850,000 in energy-saving materials across these four rejuvenated SuperValu stores, making them as efficient and green as possible.”
With increasing consumer focus on shopping local and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the retailer is rolling out extended ranges of fresh, local produce in each of the revamped stores. Musgrave NI noted it works with more than 3,000 local farmers and over 150 suppliers, buying £160m worth of local food and drink annually.
Rowan added: “Offering our customers value for money with a choice of local, own label and big brand products is a priority for Musgrave. Built with the community at their heart, each SuperValu store will offer the same great value to customers with offers on over 200 big brands every week and over 400 cheaper own brand products, up to 33% cheaper than the better-known brands. And with more than 500 of our branded products price-checked against Tesco, we aim to deliver the best value for our customers across our entire range.”
