Convenience brand Centra will roll out a range of in-store 'healthier options' this year in a bid to seek differentiation from its competitors, Musgrave has announced.
The new strategy will "make it easier for shoppers to pick up healthy options at any time of the day", Martin Kelleher, Centra managing director, told the Centra Conference in Killarney.
At the conference, Musgrave revealed that the Centra brand recorded retail sales of over €1.5 billion in 2014, up 3% on last year. It plans to open 16 new stores this year.
Growth at the chain was underpinned by increased Centra own-brand sales, which grew by 14% year-on-year. Gourmet sandwich sales rose by 8%, with pizza sales up 17%, driven by an in-store takeaway pizza initiative. Coffee sales were up 14%.
“2014 was a very successful year for Centra in which we continued to lead the convenience market and achieved milestone sales of €1.5 billion," said Kelleher.
"This is a tremendous achievement for the brand and our retailers. […] It also places the Centra brand within the top twenty Irish brands by turnover, which is a huge accomplishment when you consider that this has been achieved by the combined efforts of 463 local businesses across the country.”
Last year, around €7 million was invested by Centra retailers into the group's store network, increasing the group's physical footprint by 25,000 square feet.
Pictured are Martin Kelleher, Managing Director Centra, Alan Jordan, Centra Retailer Chairperson and Ian Allen, Centra Sales Director at the Centra Conference.
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
