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TODAY MARKS THE end of an era in Irish shopping.
Today, 24 SuperQuinn stores across Ireland will change their names to SuperValu, as the Musgrave company, which owns both, aims to continue growth in the sector by combining the two brands.
Superquinn’s famous sausages, bread and meat will all remain, but own-brand ranges will carry the Super Valu logo.
As well as the name change, SuperValu will invest €10 million to complete the refurbishment of the Superquinn store network.
The integration has impacted on jobs, but a company spokesperson says that efforts are being made to find the 102 people affected new roles in the Musgrave Group.
“When we announced the change in August we immediately began to work with colleagues to identify possible opportunities for them within the broader Musgrave Group business. In just six months we have already helped 15 colleagues find alternative positions across the wider Musgrave Group and this will continue. In addition we also established a comprehensive outplacement and support programme to assist them. Many colleagues will remain with the business through this year and into 2015.”
Commenting on the integration, Martin Kelleher, SuperValu managing director, said: “Today marks one of the most exciting developments in Irish retailing. Combining SuperValu and Superquinn brings together the best of both brands.
“Since announcing our plans to rename Superquinn as SuperValu in August, the consumer response has been very positive demonstrating that both brands are better together.
“Superquinn shoppers have really bought into the quality and value SuperValu offers. We are also keeping all that is great from Superquinn’s heritage. We have made the Superquinn sausage available across the SuperValu network nationwide and we are now selling twice as many as before – 30 tonnes of sausages every week.”
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I understand the change to the business model but the value that was in the superquinn brand….why throw that away? The quality has dropped significantly. A market still exists for a higher quality shopping experience that the likes of lidl/aldi don’t provide. Shame to see that go.
You clearly don’t remember the Euro Shopper range.
I do- high quality for the price point it was offered at. This is not a superquinn brand fyi, this is a eurowide discount brand sold in supermarkets across europe, like any other branded product superquinn.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s clear they’re trying to turn SuperValu into the quality brand; but some idiot got it the wrong way round! They should have changed the SuperValu stores to Superquinn. The power of the Superquinn brand nationwide would have been incredible.
Nothing different than the generic brands Lidl or Aldi are providing today then. If you’re so concerned for quality now, go support your local butcher, baker or fruit and veg merchant.
I think you may be missing the point of a supermarket Brian, being the ability to get high quality produce in one location, at a time that independent retailers do not often open at given their own particular business model. For many, late night shopping and weekends is their time to do such things. My reference to quality was mainly to the superquinn experience regardless such as staff, fully stocked shelves, selection of produce etc
Loved the Superquinn business model of Bling water at a cool €44.99 a bottle. Never knew a supermarket’s business model was for a particular social class. My bad.
Not sure anyone has mentioned social class above but would you like some salsa for the chip on your shouler? SQ did stock some particularly tasty one’s if you’re interested.
They want the Supervalue brand to be the largest supermarket brand in Ireland, it’s more about their ego unfortunately. I don’t thibk they get it that the perceived values of the superquinn brand are very different to supervalue.
Nah I’m too sour from the last of the Superquinn grapes I got last night.
But pierotintori, surely if they had changed all the supervalus to Superquinn, they would have still been the largest brand in Ireland? And a much better brand at that!
In our town we never had a Superquin,but we do have all the other majors plus Lidl and Aldi,what you never had you never miss.
Oh to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
*Oh ’tis better…
I don’t have a super Quinn near me so wen ever im over in my mams I like to stock up on the sausages
so on Tuesday this week I did just that and I also got 8euro of the cooked cocktail ones and fresh rolls for a lunch time snack was dying to get stuck into them well what a disappointment they were absolutely foul I really wanted to go back and throw them back at them but was rushing back to work and so there standers have fallen and the sausages are not the same if something is working don’t try fix it Supervalu you would of done well to change to superquinn and keep the high standers they always had
Christine
Nail head
well said Brian Moloney
i for one am now supporting local butchers etc as i feel i get a top class product and service.
as for the so-called famous Superquinn sausage,s we used to buy them but after trying a local butchers sausages we stopped that as we found Superquinn sausages overpriced and most importantly over-rated.
This is a bad move. I don’t believe all their costumers have embraced or welcomed it. SQ set a very high standard in produce and costumer service. Unfortunately we have seen these standards drop massively in our local Superquinn. Not sure we will continue to shop there.
Exactly. SuperQuinn was a quality brand and I don’t know why they didn’t keep it as a premium sector. SuperValu branding just looks cheap & gawdy. Unfortunately we don’t have much choice where we are.
Found the opposite in Blackrock. Much much better value too. Superquinn quality had absolutely plummeted.
Found the opposite in Blackrock to the other Helen. I frequently shopped in SQ, especially when I wanted something nice. Now most of the things I used to buy have gone, replaced with inferior quality products. I think it’s a mistake to have completely rebranded them.
As a loyal SQ customer I do NOT welcome this change…. I have not “brought in” to this
This is simply a commercial need to deal with the market competition. The result is as we all know a downgrading of one rather than an upgrading of another. 10m on rebranding the stores? That would go a long way to paying the wages of the staff who will lose their jobs but whereas one is a tax deductible or potentially recoverable asset cost to the the business, the other is just a cost.
The cost of wages is also tax deductible.
“one is a tax deductible or potentially recoverable asset cost to the the business, the other is just a cost.”
WTF are you on about?
I was in Superquinn Blackrock last weekend and was very disappointed in the reduction in the product range. Many of the products I cannot get elsewhere (Silan Or chicken, umami, whole fish and more) are no longer available. Veg is now pre packed in plastic (aubergine, ginger, courgette etc) which is unnecessary. My reasons fir going there are gone, back to Dunnes /Lidl /Aldi I go.
Supervalu in Churchtown has a great range, and often stocks brands I can’t get elsewhere. Hopefully the ‘new’ branches of S-Valu will be as good.
I suppose the “scanner scams” will also now apply. Ie sloppy scanners that haven’t been updated for special offers., particularly fruit n veg. Also ambiguous display pricing. Supervalu could win prizes for how adept they are in this area. Their checkout staff are highly trained to say “sorry about that”.
I must keep an eye out for this! Are they any different to scanners in other supermarkets? I liked being able to weigh and price my own goods – one Dunnes branch doesn’t even have a scales for checking weights, they say it is done at the checkout which takes the control completely away from the customer.
@Stephen.
Totally agree. My local SV doesnt even have a customer scanner.
SV must think their customers n staff having nothing to do, except confirm prises on unpriced goods.
Suggest u get a Scanner APP on App Store.
As long as the sausage’s are ok we will get over it !!!!!!
What about the other six counties, do they not deserve SQ sausages too?
Stick to Asda… you will save a ton of cash
No
@Good News Caravan – the export of the Superquinn sausage could convert the Unionists and led to Irish unity by succulent consent. I have already converted one from County Dosn by generous gifts of Clonakilty Black and White Pudding.
Marketing disaster if you ask me, superquinn was always associated with the “big boys” so to speak, dunnes and tesco and matched it with their own products, Supervalu was always on a par or maybe slightly above your spars, centras.
I wonder how many of the people crying that the quality has dropped weren’t willing to pay for it before SQ went to the wall?
That is exactly why Superquinn went to the wall!
All this talk of saving superquinn sausages, but I ask you, what of the white pudding? Superquinn white pudding was/is nothing short of divine!
R.I.P Superquinn. U served us well :(
loving all the talk about superquinn being for rich people one if their busiest stores is in finglas
Pity nobody said that.
Proof that crime pays….
SQ quality at SuperValu prices: great. SuperValu at SQ prices quality: slippery slope…
More expensive than SQ for comparable items. Many shoppers have moved. Aldi wins hands down for quality & price. Hope they don’t have bunting up again today in Lucan. This bunting celebration was a badly judged move in September as Lucan shoppers were horrified at the disrespect shown to head office staff upstairs. Overall a misguided change of brand, should have been SV to SQ.
Too much packaging on the fruit and veg in Supervalu Blackrock I agree. Also the only tarragon they sell is in plastic packaging from Israel. I asked about ethical choices for consumers but they had no comment to make. Otherwise happier with the store now then the later days of Superquinn – the quality had gone way down – the deli counter was like a spar shop, the fish was way overpriced, as was the meat. It feels more vibrant now and while there’s a smaller range, the produce is fresher. The till receipts are definitely less.
Check out the price of White and red cabbage in former SQ stores V price charged in SuperValu stores.
Same label now. Nearly double the price.
I’ve been working in Superquinn for over 9 years now and although it’s a sad day to see the name change, I have nothing but fate in the Supervalu brand (Musgraves). People need to stop looking at the negatives and think of the positives… It’s an Irish brand, 2,400 staff members still have a job… And the sausages are staying too! Its sad but also an exciting time.
tesco dunnes supervalue absolutely no difference they even display price is matched proudly on their shelves uugggghhh and yes their veg is dated and plastic
Fear not lads, there’s fewer riff raff in M&S anyways. That’s where I will taking my custom.
Much higher quality too. Just tell em GNC sent ya
its a con…no more higher quality than anywhere else
Stop being wrong on internet McGee-bag.
knob jockey
Great to see yous are all happy about sausages!! Sorry but there are 110 people loosing their jobs from the office and a lot of concerned employees facing uncertain futures in the stores,.i don’t see a celebration in that …oh but it’s ok there’s still sausages
If Musgrave Group didn’t buy Superquinn, there would be 1000+ jobs lost, not to mention the knock-on effect to suppliers and small business attached to the Superquinn locations (it’s the cornerstone of Sutton Cross, for example, which is already struggling) etc.
Process that for a second – it is good news, given the alternative.
Don’t agree superquinn was a going concern plus there is so much profit in the Irish market through inflated food prices expect to see more chains coming in
Only 15 staff redeployed in 6 months? Yeah, well done lads, that’s great, yet more for the dole queues as the retail sector continues on the race to the bottom
Retail isn’t the public service. the aim is to be profitable, you can’t make up jobs for people like the public service do
The super rich are the only ones who where the left who could shop in the likes of Superquinn anyway, and the aspiring rich, who wouldn’t of been seen dead in Aldi, are now their most discerning customers; and the poor, well they just do their best, no matter where they shop.
You have to back to about 2002 to see where it all became undone for Superquinn and why it almost failed. Fergal handed over the reigns to people who made crazy decisions that almost killed it off. Has never recovered its status from then
I worked for SuperQuinn from 94 – 2003 saw the good times and saw the decline. If Superquinn hadn’t been bought by Musgraves it wouldn’t exist now.All the specialities that made superquinn special are long gone
Its not special anymore.As for the sausages when they were made in store they were special. Now just.r muck.Big problem now is se towns have to many Supervalus and that cant last. RIP Superquinn
Agree – shopped in Superquinn when I lived in Dublin and Limerick and bemoaned the fact that Cork had no Superquinn when I moved. I always popped into Portlaoise or Waterford if I passed. I saw a big change when Fergal Quinn sold the business but some of the great products were still available (I don’t include the sausages – they were outsourced and no better than many others on the market). About 4 years ago I thought the the quality and stocking levels plummeted & some older stores became very grotty but you get still get some products hard to find elsewhere.
If Super Valu follow the ethos of some of their better retailers (Ryan’s, Hurleys & Fields) in the Superquinn stores, they will win over the previous Superquinn shoppers but some of their retailers are poor enough. Not sure if the ex-Superquinn shops will be company owned but operated by a separate retailer or group- if it’s a good retailer they’ll be fine. It is a good thing that an Irish company are involved and I hope they make a success of it.
Grow your own food
Bit hard if your garden is a 2 foot window box.
Did Fergal help with the makeover?
The Superquinn online shopping has been a fooking mess during the transition. You search for something you’re 100% sure they have (my orders get fulfilled form their Swords store, and I’m in there regularly), and get no matches.
I remember going into Superquinn and I couldn’t put anything in my basket because everything was so expensive compared to what I was used to. I just walked around for ages looking for something to buy and then put the basket back. Went back to my beloved Aldi.
Have to adjust & adapt now. No more armed robberies on SuperQuin
One more symbol of the Celtic Tiger has gone. Now can we convert M&S to Eurogiant and I’ll be a happy man.
Celtic Tiger? Superquinn has been around since the 70′s.
You on drugs
Been around since sixties in dundalk then Sutton
Cool – was just a guess. I knew it was at least that long.
i’ve never been to superquinn
The end of fergal quinns institution used to work in sutton
Me too when I was 16 – good times.
Kill my own beast, chickens and pig; milk my own goat; garden my greens; bake my own bread; brew my own beer; and bring wine in from France!
A few bottles of whiskey (Powers) is the only need I have for any Supermarket!
Where do you get the flour for the bread?
Cant trust a store with its name spelt wrong. Change to Super Value & maybe I’d shop there…
“Cant” indeed.
Laura its a name and trade mark not a statement. if you weren’t being a pedantic grammar nazi you might understand that they can call it what ever the f?€& they want.
Eh chill out?! Was only takin the piss out of the name…. Go & boil your head, youre takin internet comments WAY too seriously!!
Oh sorry teacher, “can’t”
There. Happy?
€10million refurbishment? Alot of the sq had a refurbishment in the past year! Some of the supervalus would want a major refurbish badly! Killiney So for one, too many varying products also, some supervalus will have a fresh bakery and the others won’t! Will they get rid of them frm former sqs in a few months, wouldn’t surprise me, mgmt have a made a major mistake here, and I hope it comes bak to haunt them with Falling sales figures, but then I don’t want job losses, its a hard one
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