Centra: 17 new stores to create 500 jobs

CONVENIENCE retailer Centra plans to create 500 jobs with the opening of 17 stores following a €23 million investment.

Centra recorded €1.4 billion in sales last year in what it called a difficult trading environment.

Managing director of Centra, Martin Kelleher, said the retailer “continues to outperform the market” with sales down 2% versus the rest of the convenience market at -6.5%. He said it is growing at twice the rate of its nearest competitor and serving over 3.5 million customers per week.

Mr Kelleher was speaking at Centra’s national conference yesterday, attended by 470 retail partners.

He said that despite a difficult trading environment, Centra has recorded a “satisfactory sales performance”.

“This can be attributed to the continued success of our brand, our community retail model and our market leading value offer,” he said.

Centra’s retail partners own their own stores but the brand is owned by the Musgrave group.

“We are delighted to be in a position to announce that Centra will create almost 500 jobs this year. It reflects the faith our retail partners have in the Centra brand and reasserts our position as the convenience market leader.

“Local entrepreneurs across Ireland hold the key to our economic recovery, as today’s job announcement illustrates,” said Mr Kelleher.

Centra said it remains committed to local employment and sourcing from Irish producers. It now employs 15,000 staff in Ireland.

In 2010 it purchased more than €1 billion of Irish goods, including €140m worth of Irish fresh food.

The company said 200 of the jobs are being created in greenfield sites and the investment will be made by Centra’s retail partners.

“Value is at the heart of the Centra ethos — weekly offers combined with big brand price cuts, simplification of pricing at the deli and hot food counters, Centra’s own-brand range and its keenly priced Good to Go offering ensures busy, budget-conscious consumers are provided with best value offering, while maintaining the highest standards of quality and choice,” said Mr Kelleher.