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SEEN AND HEARD
Fyffes fitness visits returning to Irish schools Another sign that life continues to return to normal can be seen in the announcement by Fyffes that it is to resume its children’s fitness programme of live school visits in September following a two-year break during Covid. Originally conceived as a means of introducing children to the importance of physical exercise and healthy eating, the upcoming schedule will see some 7,500 pupils from schools throughout Ireland, North and South, participate in an interactive Fit Squad session between September and March next. Delivered by Irish health and fitness expert, Tom Dalton, and carried out under the eye of teachers present, each 45-minute session includes an active workout plus talks and tips on healthy eating, all designed to improve children’s general fitness through engaging and fun-filled activities. Looking ahead to the resumption of the initiative, Fyffes head of marketing, Emma Hunt-Duffy said: “We have had such a positive response to the programme, many schools are already in the pipeline for visits before we had to go online. “Much of the appeal is that the exercises don’t require any equipment and don’t need much space,” she added. “They focus on using your own body weight to build strength in a fun way that can be enjoyed by
SuperValu encourages shoppers to shop sustainably and support local for Guaranteed Irish Food Month SuperValu is partnering with Guaranteed Irish to encourage shoppers to shop sustainably, buy Irish and support local this June as part of Guaranteed Irish Food Month. The call comes as new research shows that the vast majority (89%) of Irish people believe buying local products can help the environment, while Brid O’Connell, CEO, Guaranteed Irish 77% of Irish shoppers feel and Ray Kelly, marketing director, it is important to buy Musgrave Retail Partners Ireland sustainable products. Over the past 12 months, shoppers say they have actively increased their efforts to reduce their impact on the environment with threequarters of people (76%) recycling more, 69% reducing their use of single use plastic and 68% reducing waste in their household. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of Irish shoppers have also bought more locally produced goods in the past 12 months. “We are at a point in history where action must be taken in order to ensure that we pass on a sustainable world to future generations,” said Ray Kelly, marketing director, Musgrave Retail Partners. “It is heartening to see the importance Irish people place on shopping in a sustainable way,” he added. “At SuperValu, we have been investing time, resources and finances into becoming a more sustainable business. We’ve operated a zero food waste to landfill policy for over 15 years, we have recycling rates of 97% and over 90% of the plastic packaging for our own brand products is now recyclable. SuperValu is committed to providing customers with more sustainable choices, Kelly continued, noting: “We recently launched the Taste of Local initiative, which showcases hundreds of small Irish food and drink producers in stores across the country, while SuperValu’s Food Academy programme for early-stage food and drink producers supports 320 Irish food and drink producers, 52 weeks of the year.”
ShelfLife June 2022 | www.shelflife.ie
Irish Olympic athletes David Gillick and Phil Healy are supporting the announcement by Fyffes that it is to resume its children’s fitness programme of live school visits in September
children, teachers and parents alike.” Prior to going online when schools were forced to close, the multi award-winning children’s fitness programme has been introduced to over 20,000 pupils in a countrywide series of school visits since its launch just four years ago. Schools interested in participating are invited to register at www.fyffesfitsquad.ie/register.
Centra reveals sales of €1.98 billion in 2021 Centra has reported strong sales of €1.98 billion and 2.5% annual growth for 2021. This robust performance was driven by growth in Centra’s convenience offering, including its award-winning ownbrand ranges and Inspired By Centra, and Freshly Prepared meals as well as Frank and Honest coffee. The retailer has also announced a €25 million investment in an ambitious expansion programme. The expansion will see 18 new Centra stores open in 2022, creating over 430 new jobs in local communities around the country. The expansion programme is in addition to the 11 new Centra stores opened in 2021 and the €17 million deployed last year to revamp and refresh 64 existing stores. Centra supports over 38,000 jobs and directly employs 11,716 people across the 483 stores operating in Ireland. Throughout the pandemic, shoppers sought convenient meal solutions and tasty treats, driving demand for Centra’s cook at home prepared ranges. Moo’d Ice Cream, Centra’s high-quality Irish ice cream concept, recorded sales of €10m last year, up over 52% on 2020. The Inspired By Centra range saw strong growth with a 40% increase in sales, while the Freshly Prepared range of meals also saw a 40% jump in sales. The announcement followed the publication of an economic impact report by leading economist Jim Power. This highlights the financial contribution of Centra stores is valued at an estimated €646.7 million. Direct employment by Centra creates approximately €38 million in employment taxes and generates a total net wage of €160.4 million, which is injected into local economies. In 2021, Centra stores spent €2.1 million on local sponsorships and payments to a wide array of local and national charities. n
Ciaran Mangan, Centra council chair with Ian Allen, MD, Centra and sales director Cormac Dawson
