Applegreen has become a member of Guaranteed Irish, the national organisation that champions homegrown and international businesses that provide quality jobs, support local communities, and are committed to Irish provenance.
With a network of 193 outlets across the country, the motorway forecourt and convenience retailer employs 2,800 people in Ireland and serves approximately one million customers every week.
Applegreen says that it is a long-time supporter of Irish suppliers, particularly in its own-brand food and Bakewell deli offering, with over 75% of products supplied by Irish food producers.
Research has found that 94% of consumers believe that they are helping to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing from Guaranteed Irish businesses.
As part of its ‘Drive Change’ programme, Applegreen noted that it recently became the first forecourt retailer in Ireland to formally commit to using Net Zero methodology to reduce the direct carbon footprint of its Irish operation by 90% by the year 2030.
Investing in local communities
“Supporting local communities is at the heart of the Applegreen brand,” said Fiona Matthews, managing director of Applegreen Ireland.
“We invest in local communities around Ireland by supporting local businesses and jobs for local people as well as through our Charitable Fund which has now distributed more than €4 million to good causes across Ireland since it was founded.
“These initiatives are also part of our ‘Drive Change’ sustainability programme which includes carbon neutral driving, native Irish forestry creation, biodiversity awareness, water harvesting and recycling. Drive Change is our way of embedding sustainability into everything we do.
“We are very proud of our Irish heritage and our partnership with Guaranteed Irish will bring two long standing and trusted Irish brands together to reinforce the importance of supporting our local communities."
‘Shop Local’ Message
With the addition of Applegreen’s 193 outlets, the Guaranteed Irish network has now grown to almost 2,000 members, all promoting the ‘shop local’ message and all contributing to the Irish economy.
The combined membership of Guaranteed Irish now employs more than 100,000, generating a turnover of €10 billion per year.
“As a true Irish success story, Applegreen shares our commitment to enterprise, local employment and supporting homegrown Irish produce on its shelves," said Brid O’Connell, CEO of Guaranteed Irish. "And with shorter supply chains, Applegreen in turn contributes to a more sustainable future which is something we can all get behind.
“Our research has found that more than four out of five Irish consumers associate the Guaranteed Irish brand with trustworthiness.
“With Applegreen now on board, our brand can further extend its reach among consumers and build even more awareness of the benefits of supporting local enterprise."
2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more retail news click here. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
