18 minute read
Seen and heard
SuperValu launches back to school eco range
SuperValu has launched a new ‘back to school eco range’, available now in 120 stores nationwide. With 250 products to choose from, the range gives parents plenty of opportunities to think green when preparing for back to school and stocking up the kitchen.
It includes several products that can be used for the rest of the school year and beyond. The Banana Guard will put an end to squashed fruit at the bottom of school bags, while the Paddington Bear Beeswax Wraps are reusable and the perfect replacement for plastic sandwich bags or cling film. For juices and water, the Stainless-Steel Straw can be reused for years and can be easily cleaned after use.
Where reusing is not an option, SuperValu wants to help customers buy products that are still environmentally friendly. SuperValu’s new own brand Paper Sandwich Bags are an ecoconscious option for sending children to school with sandwiches or snacks. The Paper Sandwich Bags are sold in packs of 30 for €2.29 and can
SuperValu’s SuperValu’s Paper Paper Sandwich Sandwich Bags Bags are are 100% 100% compostable
be disposed of in the brown compost bin.
“SuperValu are committed to providing customers with more sustainable choice and recognise the importance of green alternatives to both our customers and the environment,” said Ray Kelly, interim managing director of SuperValu. “We will continue to work towards our goal of 100% recyclable, reusable or compostable packaging on certain ranges by 2025.”
Musgrave MarketPlace opens new
Ireland Ireland rugby rugby player player Seán Seán Cronin Cronin helped helped unveil unveil the new Limerick Food Emporium
Musgrave MarketPlace has unveiled its new stateof-the-art food emporium, located in Limerick City.
As part of the €1.7 million transformation, its Limerick branch now features an upgraded ‘Click and Collect’ offering, which allows customers to place orders online, a colour blocking system, which aligns with a map on your trolley and a coffee area. As well as adding over 220 new products to its current range of over 10,000 products, the branch also added a bespoke butchery cutting service that is available on site.
In line with Musgrave MarketPlace’s sustainability
Food Emporium
strategy, the Food Emporium was designed to save energy and reduce carbon emissions. With the introduction of low power eco refrigeration and LED lighting, the Limerick branch has reduced its CO2 output by 99,420kg per annum, which is equivalent to the annual electricity required to run 60 homes.
Opening the branch’s new Food Emporium were Ireland rugby star and Limerick native Seán Cronin, Michael McCormack, managing director and Martin Slattery, head of operations, both Musgrave MarketPlace, along with general manager for the Limerick food emporium Jim Bourke and floor manager Paul O’Donnell.
Nineteen of SuperValu’s organic product lines have moved to compostable packaging. Products sold in compostable packaging now include avocados, aubergine, tomatoes, ginger, sweet potatoes, fresh beetroot, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, mango, butternut squash, kale, turnip and leeks, with further product lines moving to compostable packaging in the coming months.
Four additional items are now also sold in compostable nets. These include onions, red onions, garlic and lemons.
Compostable packaging can be disposed of in the brown bin; it is then fully broken down once taken to industrial composting.
SuperValu has been on a mission to make packaging as sustainable as possible as part of the group’s commitment to making 100% of SuperValu own-brand, fresh produce and in-store packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
“Now more than ever SuperValu is committed to leading in sustainable packaging and ensuring we remove plastic from circulation where possible,” said Ray Kelly, interim managing director, SuperValu. “Making a positive impact in the communities we operate in is a key focus for SuperValu and we are consistently
Nineteen Nineteen SuperValu SuperValu organic organic product product lines lines have moved to compostable packaging
making significant steps towards our 2025 goals. The move to compostable packaging on our produce lines ensures customers can make more sustainable choices than ever in SuperValu stores around Ireland.”
Tweak’s brand design solution is used by Expert Hardware, TJ O’Mahonys and Petstop, among others, in Ireland
Tweak’s design solution makes retail marketing faster
Cloud-based brand management expert Tweak has announced an automated design solution which allows retailers to simply drag and drop products into their own brand designs. Using the Killorglin-based company’s solution, an image can automatically appear on the retailer’s page, along with its product description and current pricing.
According to Tweak, creating retail marketing materials and point of sale on demand can be challenging. “The traditional design process is great for creating templates, but it’s just too slow and expensive for retailers,” explained Jerry Kennelly, founder and CEO, Tweak. “Design templates for retail should be usable by anyone on the team –and our technology is designed to make that easy.”
Tweak’s automated design has been integrated with Nielsen Brandbank. It allows Brandbank users to have their imagery searchable and usable within Tweak to create artwork in minutes for print ads, mailers, point of sale and digital marketing.
The Joyce’s Supermarket group in Galway was the first user of the Brandbank integration, which has reduced Joyce’s in-house production time for its regular 24-page mailers to a single day. “If we have a deadline to sign off, I can make changes within a few minutes of deadline, with no risk of errors,” explained Pat Joyce, CEO of Joyce’s. “Our marketing collateral is then right up to the minute.”
SEEN AND HEARD See planograms on your phone by scanning a QR code
A lot of time and effort goes into the creation of a good planogram, but all too often we overlook the people who are tasked with implementing them! There’s several reasons why this happens, but the most common are usually related to communication problems
The fix is simpler than you think, if you take away the two biggest blockers i.e. getting the right planogram to the right people and some way of receiving feedback on what has worked/ not worked, the success rate is greatly improved!
The Planomax solution allows planogram creators to upload planograms including instructions via a web portal; it also generates a simple QR code which can be easily printed or delivered to a digital SEL which is then read by any mobile phone or tablet with internet access.
Gala Retail has teamed up with Virgin Media to individuals who have made Ireland a better place with their selfless acts and inspirational deeds during the Covid-19 crisis.
Searching for 26 inspirational county heroes, the Inspiration Awards are open to all ages.
The 2020 Gala Retail Inspiration Awards
Durrant, from Blarney, County Cork, who was awarded for her voluntary work with Blarney This allows anyone with access to view the right planogram on their mobile device, it likewise allows registered users to feedback into the process which closes the loop and enables the creators to track the whole process.
Suppliers can share planograms and related data with their retail category partners.
Retailers can manage planograms more efficiently with their stores and merchandisers.
Planomax removes all the hassle from having
Gala Retail’s search is on for the nation’s inspirational heroes
search for Ireland’s inspirational heroes; those
mark the second year of the event. In 2019, the Overall Inspirational Person of the Year was Kate to print or email planograms (saving you money Community First Responders and many other associations within her community.
“At Gala Retail, we want to shine a light on the amazing people who have become true heroes during life under lockdown,” says Gary Desmond, CEO of Gala Retail, emphasising how Gala stores are at the centre of their communities.
Launching on Monday, 28 September on Virgin Media, and running for three weeks, Gala Retail has gifted €20,000 of prizes to the winners, with 26 county winners being awarded with luxury stays in some of Ireland’s most
Planomax converts your planograms into QR-codes that can be read by a mobile device
in paper and ink), it’s eco-friendly and it ensures your planograms will always be available to those who need them!
If you are interested in finding out more, visit www.shelfstock.ie/planomax or email info@shelfstock.ie.
Gala Retail CEO Gary Desmond with Virgin Media presenters Glenda Gilson and Laura Woods
beautiful Blue Book properties.
Tune into Virgin Media from Monday, 28 September for details on how to enter or see www.gala.ie. ■
Tetra Rex ®
Plant-based cartons
Globally-focused, Irish agri-business Aurivo is now using Tetra Rex ® Plant-Based milk cartons for its 1.75L Organic for Us brand. The carton is is fully renewable, plant-based and made solely from om paperboard and plastics derived from sugar cane. ne. The creation of this carton is driven byadesire to reduce our customers’ carbon footprint.
Make a good environmental choice, and consider Tetra Pak cartons today.
Band of brothers
Hugh and Dan Junior O’Neill, owners of Daybreak in Delgany, Co. Wicklow are on the cusp of a major revamp and rebrand to Centra in the coming weeks. They spoke to ShelfLife about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead and the invaluable support they have received from Bank of Ireland in order for them to realise this potential.
The Delgany store is experiencing strong demand and plans to capitalise on this with a major renovation in the coming weeks
There must be something in the water in Wicklow. Brothers Hugh (28) and Dan Junior (26) possess the same unbridled enthusiasm for their business and life in general as the well-known Wicklow twins who own the Happy Pear empire. It was entirely refreshing to listen to them talking animatedly about how they love having ‘the craic’ with their customers yet in the next breath outlining their long-term highly ambitious goals for the business.
Their father, Dan O’Neill already runs a successful Centra store in Shankill. Hugh says that his father never wanted to work for anyone else and this has rubbed offon the brothers who became shareholders ofthis store last year having worked there for years while growing up to learn the ropes.
While many might recoil at the thoughts of investing during this uncertain time, Hugh and Dan Junior are completely confident that this is the right time for them.
This Daybreak store opened in 2007, the worst time possible, says Hugh. “We had expected that the footfall would be a lot higher. There is a bigger demand in the area now because ofnew development in recent times and that has opened up the opportunity for a new concept store.”
Brothers Hugh and Dan O’Neill are excited about their ambitious goals for the business
Fresh food
The Centra model is largely defined by its contemporary fresh food offering and this is something that they say will be “a big leap forward” for them.
“It’s a high risk move in that it’s a broader range offruit and veg, ready meals and meats but it means that we can capture the area quite well. We will have a really strong offering and it will make this a one stop shop,” says Dan Junior.
Both Hugh and Dan Junior work on the shop floor and are very much about growing their business through the personal touch. “I don’t think it’s that common to walk into a shop to have the owner serving you but that’s what we want to do. We really enjoy the interaction with the customers.” They went above and beyond to service their customers throughout the lockdown period ofthe Covid-19 crisis. “There are a lot ofelderly people in the area so we made sure to reach out to them and let them know that we were delivering groceries every day,” says Dan Junior.
Despite it adding to their work load immensely, they say they really enjoyed this extra interaction with customers. “We want a busy store and we relish the challenge that anything new brings,” adds Hugh.
The revamped store will have a completely new layout which will make the store appear bigger in order to accommodate an enhanced offering. “The Musgrave and the Centra team, especially Fiona Leavy, the area manager, have pulled together a really detailed plan for working with us so it looks really good,” says Hugh.
The revamp will require huge disruption to the shop for a few weeks including moving the deli from one end ofthe shop to the other. The deli, run by their “exceptional” manager Emily Balfe, is already an important part ofthe store but due to be the epicentre ofthe new store along with an extensive off-licence.
The deli is already a key part of the store but due to be the epicentre of the new shop along with an extensive off-licence Bank of Ireland
The brothers admit that they would not be in a position to undertake this revamp ifit wasn’t for the support oftheir bank. While Dan Snr has a strong, established relationship with Bank of Ireland, this area ofbusiness is a new departure for the next generation. “We wouldn’t have had huge dealings with the bank up to now but we’ve built a great relationship with Ruth Lynch, business manager for Bank ofIreland, who’s helping us get this over the line. When you get to sit down face to face with someone they can understand how confident you are about your plans and beliefs for your business. Our sole focus now is on getting this store revamped and then our plans and aspirations are to acquire more stores in the future. We feel like we have the backing ofthe bank and they can see where we want to go,” says Hugh.
With the support ofMusgrave and Bank of Ireland and armed with an abundance ofenthusiasm and confidence, we can foresee nothing but success for this dynamic duo going forward! ■
The Entrepreneurial Spirit of
Pearse Lyons Brewing
Pearse Lyons Brewing & Distilling has captured the heart ofthe nation in a relatively short space oftime but some may not know that its story has been brewing since the 1950s. Founded by Pearse Lyons, born and raised in Dundalk, County Louth, Pearse descended from five generations ofhighly skilled coopers who supplied barrels to distilleries all over Ireland. Pearse started his own journey at the Harp Lager brewery, where his curiosity in science led him to its quality control lab. Pearse also played an instrumental part in designing what was referred to as the “New Midleton Distillery” in 1975, a highlight ofhis early career. Lauded by his peers, Barry Crockett, Master Distiller Emeritus ofIrish Distillers, said ofLyons, “Pearse was a breath offresh air when he joined the company. He was part ofthe team tasked with reviving the Irish whiskey category”. These early experiences led Pearse to become the first Irishman to receive a Masters in Brewing and Distilling at the British School of Malting and Brewing.
Pearse went back to his love ofbrewing in 1999 when he purchased Lexington Brewing & Distillery Co in the US. Upon seeing the boom ofthe craft beer industry in the United States and with the foresight for bringing success to Ireland, he purchased Cumberland Brewery in 2015 and launched the hugely popular Foxes Rock brand. Due to popularity the Foxes Rock range expanded its portfolio to
include IPA, Session IPA, Gluten free Lager, Red Ale and more recently, including the introduction ofa non-alcoholic IPA, a must for today’s consumers.
Spurred on by this success, the Lyons family including Pearse’s wife, Deirdre and son, Mark, commissioned a new brewery, one ofthe largest in Ireland, in Pearse’s hometown ofDundalk, demonstrating the families unwavering commitment to Ireland. With a state-ofthe a-rt brewing system, the Pearse Lyons Brewery is now running at full steam producing Irish-made craft beer for the local and European market. The new Pearse Lyons Brewery in Dundalk is a 100hl Krones brewhouse. With innovation very much front-of-mind, it also has a 10hl pilot brew kit where it will produce experimental beers, setting the scene on becoming the center ofexcellence in the craft beer industry.
Always willing to push boundaries, in 2012 it brought a unique set of
Kentucky Vendome pot stills from the
US over to Ireland. It was at that stage the sixth distillery to start distilling in
Ireland. The Kentucky Vendome stills were so unique to Irish distilling that they have their own inclusion in Irish
Whiskey legislation.
In 2017 the Pearse Lyons Distillery opened its doors to the public. Set in the historic location ofSt James
Church in the heart ofThe Liberties the wonderfully unique, small batch distillery has become a roaring success, already taking home ‘Best Dublin
Visitor Experience 2019’ and ‘Trip
Advisor Traveller’s Choice Award 2020’.
Dating back to the 12th Century the church was closed for worship in 1963 and underwent various transformations until being purchased by the Lyons family. After five years ofrestorations led by Pearse’s wife
Deirdre, Pearse brought his family heritage ofbrewing and distilling back to the Liberties in Dublin. There’s lots ofexciting plans in the pipeline too, with a gin school set to open on the premises this year followed by a whiskey school, catering to the growing interest in distilling.
Innovation and brand building are at the heart ofeverything done at Pearse Lyons Brewing & Distilling. Sighting the market trends, it was one ofthe first to recognise the growing convenience sector, launching two new brands to cater to this market.
& Distilling
In 2019 it launched the Míl Spritz brand to unprecedented success, followed by the launch ofIreland’s first Hard Seltzer, Flying Flamingo in 2020. Both brands have managed to capture a wider audience, hungry for convenience, while not compromising on taste or style. Míl Spritz went on to become the drink ofthe season and also took home with it ‘World’s Best Brand Design 2020’. Flying Flamingo tropical Hard Seltzer became one ofthe top-selling Hard Seltzers in Ireland this year, hitting all trends; low calorie, glutenfree and vegan friendly. The branding of both has been a real point ofnote for the business, setting them apart from other contenders in the market.
As you may have gathered, Pearse Lyons Brewing & Distilling likes to do things differently. Some ofits distinctions include bringing the first Single Malt whiskey to market in the US since prohibition, the Pearse Lyons Reserve. Uniquely, the Irish whiskey produced at the Pearse Lyons Distillery uses its own proprietary yeast cultivated in-house and it ages its whiskey in top-quality barrels sourced from its sister distillery Town Branch in Lexington, Kentucky. This combination has brought it many awards including ‘World’s Best blended whiskey under 12 years 2020’ for its Pearse 7 Year Old Irish Whiskey ‘Distillers Choice’. In the US, Kentucky Bourbon Barrell Ale is now the second-bestselling four-pack and the number one best-selling craft beer brand in Kentucky.
With its Irish roots firmly planted, the Lyons’ dedication to the craft beverage business and their focus on innovation truly sets them apart. They have become a driving force within the brewing and distilling world while maintaining the family values and ideals on which their breweries and distilleries were founded. Today, Mark Lyons is guiding the beverage business with energy and purpose. Like Pearse, Mark also holds a Masters Degree in Brewing and Distilling but just as importantly, he shares his father’s passion and boundless enthusiasm for the future ofcraft brewing and distilling.
“I am honoured to carry forward my father’s legacy and entrepreneurial spirit,” said Mark, “He was a visionary who saw the great potential for craft beverages. His dream now belongs to all ofus and together with our Irish and US teams, I remain committed to growing our beverage business and ensuring that we remain at the forefront ofinnovation.”
This year Mark Lyons was also delighted to announce the appointment ofConor Farrell as ChiefCommercial Officer to look after the global beverage business. “Conor has been instrumental to the growth and innovation at Pearse Lyons Brewing & Distilling and is perfectly poised to lead the company direction in the coming years”.
With over 20 years’ experience Conor has led the innovation and development ofmany globally-recognised brands in the brewing and distilling industry. Speaking ofhis new role, Conor says, “I am honoured to lead the business on behalfofthe Lyons family. We have such a great portfolio of brands and visitor centres across
Ireland and the US. I am very much looking forward to continuing to build the legacy and success that
The unwavering devotion ofPearse Lyons Brewing & Distilling has brought an exciting dynamic to the to the drinks industry in Ireland. It is constantly pushing the boundaries, experimenting and creating new products. In a relatively short space oftime Pearse Lyons Brewing & Distilling has managed to expand its beverage business to be able to compete on a global scale. True to its ethos, its entrepreneurial approach to business has set it up to be disruptive, different and curious. With this approach in mind, we look forward to seeing where the next five years takes it. n
