Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
CENTRA HAD RECORD sales in 2014, taking in more than €1.5 billion – a 3% increase on the previous year.
The grocery chain plans to open 16 new shops in 2015, creating 380 jobs.
Its success last year was underpinned by a 14% increase in sales of its ‘own brand’ range, a 17% rise in pizza sales and a 14% jump in coffee sales.
Martin Kelleher, Managing Director of Centra, said that the success experiences by the retailer in 2014 “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”.
Centra currently employs almost 11,000 people and serves over three million customers each week.
The chain sells over €1.1 billion of Irish goods, with 75% of all products sold in store produced or sourced in Ireland. An additional €60 million worth of products are sourced by stores locally from over 1,400 small local suppliers.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Never underestimate the profitability of the chicken fillet roll.
Good for the company. Its very expensive to shop in centra.
You pay the price for convenience of late hours and location of these stores.
How many jobs are lost due to the opening of a super chain like this.? When chains like these open in small towns they under cut longer established family run stores who pay their staff more, drive down wages in the area bring in outside produce affecting local producers income and jobs,. Then they increase their prices when all the rival business can’t compete and go bust. Look at any town where a Tescos or similar pops up. The result is always job losses locally, lowering of income for workers loss of business for local producers. The mass closing down of town centres with empty premises everywhere. Perhaps Centra don’t pose as much of a threat as the super market chains but its worth looking at the pro’s and con’s of these expansions. Many politicians have been happy to stick their face on TV and claim a super market chain is bringing new jobs to a town but they never give the other side of the coin …which is the devastating decline in the towns they arrive in.
Martin, Centra is a group of independent local retailers, you twit!
Neal the fact that you would think that matters shows how little you know. Centra is a franchised chain like Spar the fact that its Irish owned does little to help the situation. They are still driving down wages and putting the small operators out of business does it matter who they are. Unless an independent established grocer in a town agrees to join the group which entails profit share and agreeing to purchase solely the products sold by the group he will find he is in competition with them. The grocer has to try match their prices and lower wages to be competitive just like what happens when Tesco appear in an area but on a smaller scale the result however is similar……you twit!
Don’t you mean turnover rather than profit ? Centra’s own tweet that you include in the article says turnover. There should be someone in the Journal that can explain to you the difference in the two.
We had five small shops for different commodities in the local town ten years ago. Now we have one Centra and the prices are outrageous. For instance, well over two euro for a small jar of stuff to mix with pasta, seventy cents in Aldi.
For those without transport to get to alternative outlets there is now no choice but to shop there. I am so glad I have a car.
No wonder they make so much profit. Absolute rip off.
380 jobs with minimum wage no doubt and short contracts
A few “internships” will be offered, no doubt.
I worked in Centra stores for years. They are franchised so conditions of employment vary from one store to the next. In all the years I worked in centra I was never on minimum wage and my contracts were always yearly for full time employment (39 hours minimum).
Record profits? At a time when we are in the middle of one of the worst recessions in our history! And all of the new minimum wage part-time jobs to look forward to! No thanks Centra, Dunnes are giving you back €40 when you spend €200! How ? Why? Are we paying too much all along? Dunnes workers have to endure zero hour contracts? There should be an investigation into food prices in Ireland – international retailers regard Ireland as the honey pot because if the profits they can earn compared to anywhere else in Europe!
For someone who thinks socialism is slavery you’re very keen on state interventionism.
Big yellow- what a silly comment !
i’d like to know how they’re getting away with hiring non-EU staff on full hours for non-skilled jobs. are the europeans not cheap enough? Sure no wonder they’re in profit.
Profits? All I will say is two things!
1) Always ask for your receipt if not given.
2) Then check it against those “smart savings” items you just bought!.
I have been overcharged so many times and the new fad is, not giving receipts.
They don’t have to give you a receipt, but by law, they must if you ask for it.
Just bought apple pies this week – smart savings sticker price 2.20e
Got home, checked receipt – price 3.28e.
Could this be helping profits?
I’m overcharged almost each time I go in to our local centra so I’m not surprised their profits are up! I avoid them if at all possible . .
There are still those among us who don’t pay attention to prices , shop in places like centra and pay dear for it, result big profits ! Unless of course you have no option but to shop there which can be the case.
Deli counter at local one closes at 3 each day, not open at weekends. Goes to show the profit from those manky chicken rolls… Crap bread, mass produced, reformed chicken and half a head of stale lettuce…
I cant really fault my local Centra on their deli counter. Crispy baguettes (fresh made), and the fillings are good. Sometimes, a soft roll, is an unknown concept, only do baguettes!
Hot food is above average to good. Wedges could be better, presentation could be better. They even got the rotary chicken machine in, which is a big plus. But, when getting a breakfast roll, there are no eggs!
What good is a roll without an egg or two? Maybe they don’t know how to retain them or keep them warm.
If that was me, I’d figure out a quick microwave solution to give the customer a warm egg.
Ummm, Is my comment too long? I think it is. *swigs on beer*
€1.5 billion profit – where does all this profit go?
SALES of €1.5 billion. where does it say profit?
Another Tesco in the making.
Stopped shopping there too, way over priced
I love our local centra. For branded goods they are usually the same as tescos so I tend to shop there rather than having the hassle of going to tescos. The deli is open late and there is an off licence for those who sup. The staff are nice too and I find its a great place for my.son to practise his social kills. They are good for that. So overall I am happy they plan to expand and hope other owners in the franchise will be as good
When you consider the prices they its a wonder their profits are not even greater. I go to LIDL and save a bundle and the central isle can be great at least some weeks.
If your conscience is okay with the fact that the staff who serve you are being worked to death, then yes those discount German supermarket are a fabulous place to shop.
more b/s from neal no mates i see ! Aldi and Lidl both pay way above minimum wage and their policy on holidays and staff working hours is far better than some of the larger irsh supermarkets . also they use and abuse schemes like jobs bridge ,nor do they have a policy of ‘employing’ disabled people on government ‘back to work or therapeutic working ‘scams were the people are paid a ‘top up’ on their disability allowance for working almost full time hours at a low rate of pay ! (maximum 120 euro per week)
sorry that line should read “they (aldi /lidl) DONT use and abuse schemes like jobs bridge etc “
Well they certainly don’t spend the money on their tacky shopfronts.
Changed from spar to centra in sentry and a bottle of vodka went from 27.99 to 37
And presumably you would like us to thank the Government for this, Journal? Yeah, right.
That’s like 1 million chicken rolls!
not difficult with the prices they (over)charge !
have your say