Retailer Dunnes Stores is reportedly set to enter the online grocery market in Ireland, initially rolling out delivery services in Dublin and surrounding counties.
The Irish Times reported that the exact timing of the launch is yet to be determined, however it is believed that the retailer is eager to have it in place next month, ahead of the busy Christmas period.
Grocery orders will be fulfilled from a 'dark store', the paper reported, rather than through in-store picking.
During the summer, Dunnes Stores introduced grocery delivery services on a tentative basis from its flagship outlet at Cornelscourt in south Dublin, for shoppers living within a 10-kilometre radius of the store.
Odd One Out
Of the Irish grocery market's 'Big Three' of SuperValu, Tesco and Dunnes, the latter is the only operator yet to introduce an online grocery platform, however it does offer online delivery for clothing and homewares.
According to the most recent Kantar market share figures, for the 12 weeks to 9 August, Dunnes Stores currently holds 20.5% of the market, compared to 21.1% for Tesco and 22.3% for market leader SuperValu.
Kantar also found that online grocery sales in Ireland saw growth of over 125% in the 12-week period, resulting in a record market share of 4.6%.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
