Centra creates 468 jobs across Ireland

Centra has announced plans to open 18 new stores this year as part of a new €23 million store expansion programme.

According to the convenience retailer, the opening of the new shops in 2023 will create 468 new jobs. This growth will take the total number of employees at Centra in Ireland to over 12,000.

In addition to the new openings, Centra will also be remodeling 35 of its 490 existing stores across Ireland this year.

Centra, part of the Musgrave group, reported sales of €1.98 billion from 167 million consumer transactions last year. This was flat from 2021 and was 17 percent above pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

With the return of office workers, demand for on-the-go breakfast and lunch options surged, with sales of these products up 13 percent compared to 2021. Lunchtime deli sales rose nearly 11 percent for the year.

Purchases of coffee to go also increased for commuters, with sales of Frank and Honest coffee rising 7 percent in 2022.

Private label products posted a 10.3 percent increase in sales as more consumers sought to cut costs amid rising inflation. Food inflation rose to 15.4 percent in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas last year.

After a 40-piece spike in demand in 2021, the retailer’s freshly made range saw sales grow 10 pieces last year. The retailer attributed the rise to an increased appetite for eating out in the second half of the year as consumers tightened their belts amid rising inflation.

The retailer’s ice cream brand Moo’d also saw sales rise 13 percent in 2022.

Centra will also expand its delivery partnership with Just Eat and Deliveroo to six new locations in the first quarter of this year. This option is currently available to shoppers near 34 convenience retailer locations.

“Our deep understanding of the role of convenience in shopping decisions has led us to adapt to the schedules of our time-poor shoppers and meet their needs any time of the day,” said Managing Director Ian Allen.

“Today’s customers shop little and often, and Centra is the perfect solution to meet this trend.”