Ireland's economy was one of the fastest to bounce back after the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing 9.5% growth in modified domestic demand (MDD) in 2022, however the story of 2023 has largely involved keeping inflation at a reasonable level.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 5.1% between October 2022 and October 2023, data from Ireland's Central Statistics Office found, down from an annual increase of 6.4% in the 12 months to September 2023. On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices were up by 0.3%.
While hotels, restaurants, and cultural establishments have seen the highest increase in prices on a year-on-year basis, the grocery sector has also had to battle continued inflation – the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages was up 7.0% in the year to October 2023.
At the same time, consumer confidence appears to be on the increase, with the Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Index rising to 61.9 in November 2023, up from from 60.4 in October – the latter having been a six-month low of the index. The index dropped as low as 42.1 in September 2022.
"It may be that small improvements in confidence in each of the past two months at least tentatively point towards the possibility of a more positive trend in Irish consumer sentiment and spending over end-year and into early 2024," the report's authors said.
Elsewhere, in December, Kantar suggested that Irish grocery sales would hit a record level over Christmas 2023, although this is partly driven by inflation levels.
Here's an overview of the top ten supermarket retail chains in Ireland, according to their most recently-available full-year turnover. All data is supplied by Retail-Index.
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1. Musgrave Group
Turnover: €4.5 billion (2022)
The Musgrave Group is the leading retail and wholesale business in Ireland with a turnover of €4.5 billion in 2022. The family-owned company operates a variety of retail chains including SuperValu, Centra, Daybreak and Day Today.
The group operates 840 stores across Ireland as of this year.
Read More: SuperValu, Tesco And Aldi Among Big Winners At Ireland's National Grocery Retail Awards
2. Dunnes Stores
Turnover: €4.1 billion (estimated, 2021)
Dunnes Stores is a privately-owned Irish retailer with an estimated turnover of €4.1 billion in 2021. It operated an estimated 116 stores throughout Ireland as of last year, and also trades in fashion, textiles and homewares, as well as food.
Dunnes Stores recorded a new record high market share of 24.2% in December 2023, Kantar data showed, having seen sales rise 11.7% year-on-year and shopper numbers rise by 2.2%. In February 2023, Dunnes Stores acquired Dublin-based same-day delivery company Buymie.
3. Tesco Ireland
Turnover: €2.9 billion (2022)
In third place. Tesco Ireland had a turnover of €2.9 billion in 2022. The retailer operates more than 154 outlets (as of 2022) across the country under various banners, including Tesco Extra, Tesco Express, and Tesco Metro.
Tesco has had a permanent presence in Ireland since 1997, when it acquired the Powers Supermarkets business, however it also traded in the country for a period in the 1980s.
Read More: Tesco Ireland Allocates €80m For New Stores And Renovations
4. Aldi Ireland
Turnover: €2 billion (2021)
Aldi Ireland reported a turnover of €2 billion in 2021. The company has 150 stores in Ireland as of this year.
Part of the Aldi Süd network, Aldi first entered the Irish market in 1999.
5. SPAR
Turnover: €1.56 billion (2022)
SPAR Ireland, operated by BWG Foods, recorded a turnover of €1.56 billion in 2022. The group currently operates 1.,030 stores across Ireland, under the banners SPAR, EUROSPAR, Londis, Mace, Value Centre and XL stores.
SPAR and EUROSPAR recently announced plans to add 60 new stores to their combined network in Ireland by 2025. The project will see an investment of €65 million from BWG Foods, as well as contributions from independent SPAR and EUROSPAR retailers.
Read More: BWG Foods To Use Fully Electric Trucks For Some Deliveries
6. Lidl Ireland
Turnover: €1 billion (estimated, 2021)
Lidl Ireland, part of the international Schwarz Group, reported an estimated turnover of €1 billion in 2021.
The company operates over 187 outlets in Ireland as of 2022. Lidl first entered the Irish grocery market in 2000.
Read More: Lidl Ireland Partners With OOHPod Parcel Lockers
7. Iceland
Turnover: €65 million (2022)
Iceland had a turnover in Ireland of €65 million in 2022, from a network of 27 outlets across the country.
In February, the Irish Examiner reported that Iceland had sold all the 27 stores it directly owns in Ireland to a new franchise owner, The Project Point Technologies, which will operate the outlets going forward.
8. Fresh The Good Food Market
Turnover: €28 million (2021)
Fresh The Good Food Market launched in Ireland in 2006, when the first Fresh supermarket opened its doors in Smithfield Village in Dublin 7.
The group had an annual turnover €28 million in 2021 and currently operates nine stores as of this year.
9. Gala
Turnover: N/A
Gala Retail is a convenience store chain, operating a total of 168 stores under its Gala and Gala Express banners. The business was launched in 1998 by a group of Irish wholesalers.
10. Costcutter
Turnover: N/A
Operated by Cork's Barry Group, Costcutter had 77 stores in Ireland as of 2022.
About Retail-Index
Retail-Index is a specialist supplier of management information on consumer retail markets, provided by Veraart Research Group in the Netherlands. Its mission is to supply managers with up-to-date key information on retail markets in Europe and support them in their international expansion.
The company dates back to 1964, when it started as a market research and marketing consulting company for consumer products and services. In 1989, it started publishing written reports on various retail sectors in Europe. As of 2005, it publishes its information on retailers through the online database and curated datasheet exports available on www.retail-index.com. A team of researchers manages the data to reflect upon current developments in the markets, collected from an extensive number of sources.
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© 2023 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Robert McHugh. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
