Daybreak

Daybreak has been growing at an exceptional pace in 2022 and the brand expects this to continue over the next 12 months

Q&A with… Thomas Morrison, head of Retail & Musgrave MarketPlace 

Print

Print

Brand Central

Fact File

Number of stores nationwide: 290

Typical store size: 1,500 – 2,000 sq ft

Head office: Musgrave, St. Margaret’s Road, Ballymun, Dublin 11.

Type of distribution network: Central distribution and access to seven Musgrave MarketPlace branches.

Website: www.daybreakireland.ie

Social Media: @DaybreakIreland (Facebook and Instagram)

Tagline: ‘Real Fresh, Real Fast’

Thomas Morrison

Q: Working in partnership with retailers, what support and advice do you provide to enable them to run their businesses more successfully?

A: We pride ourselves on our excellent relationships with Daybreak retailers and on providing an attentive and personalised service to suit their individual business needs. Each Daybreak store has an experienced business development manager (BDM) who works collaboratively with them to create custom business plans and provide hands-on practical support, helping them to grow their sales, cut their costs and increase their overall profitability.

We are very responsive to the challenges retailers are currently facing, with the key issues including the energy crisis, wider inflationary pressures, and staff recruitment difficulties. Right now, these are three areas where we are especially focused on providing retailer support.

Q: How have you innovated to deliver in-store concepts and a store design that consumers are drawn towards?

A: We focus strongly on customer insights and we introduced a new store design and brand identity a few years ago, which dialled up our focus around food-to-go. This included introducing three new Daybreak exclusive brands: 9 Grams (coffee), Munch & Co (deli), and Lickety Split (ice cream).

We also work with partner companies such as AIL, where appropriate for specific sites, to introduce concessions like Abrakebabra that broaden the appeal of a store.

Off-licence is another big focus for us. Right now, we are encouraging many retailers to introduce a full off-licence to their store, or increase the space devoted to alcohol where they already have an off-licence.

Q: As the cost-of-living-crisis continues to affect consumers’ budgets, value-for-money has become even more important. How are you ensuring you provide the best value and promotions possible for your retailers?

A: By partnering with Ireland’s largest retail and foodservice wholesaler, Daybreak retailers benefit from the Musgrave group buying power. The current Musgrave MarketPlace ‘Price Cuts’ campaign is ensuring that customers enjoy unbeatable value on the key lines important to their business. In terms of promotions, we have an extensive range of offers that are refreshed every four weeks, plus regular deep-cut Wow deals.

Q: How extensive is your brand marketing programme and how do you ensure your messaging resonates with consumers?

A: Daybreak has a comprehensive brand communications programme that helps drive retailer sales. This includes a strong focus on advertising value for money. We have 13 promotional cycles per year, supported with separate flyers tailored to Hi-C and Convenience formats and a comprehensive POS pack, plus shorter-term consumer offers at key periods. Keeping a store’s offer interesting to consumers is key to driving repeat visits, which is why we also run regular seasonal NPD activity, again supported with effective POS material.

We place a strong emphasis on digital marketing, including display advertising and social media. An example of this was our recent ‘Daybreak the Code’ Halloween campaign which won Social Media Campaign of the Year at the Digital Business Ireland Awards.

Our strong seasonal focus also includes radio advertising at key periods. In addition, the Daybreak marketing team works closely with retailers to create local marketing plans tailored to the store’s individual needs.

Q: How are you working to support local Irish suppliers and deliver quality Irish produce for your retailers?

A: Supporting local Irish suppliers is at the very core of Musgrave. In Musgrave MarketPlace we work with 680 Irish suppliers and stock over 3,500 Irish products. We are also proud to say that 100% of our fresh beef and lamb is Irish.

Q: How would you sum up your main goals for the next 12 months?

A: Our brand has been growing at an exceptional pace in 2022 and we expect this to continue over the next 12 months. To date this year, we have opened 10 new stores, plus we’re delighted to say an additional 21 Top Oil sites have recently joined the Daybreak brand. We have also been rolling out our store of the future brand identity at pace to existing stores, with 14 revamps this year alone. A key focus for us over the next 12 months is to extend our new brand offer to existing retailers.

Another key focus will be to support Daybreak retailers manage their costs, continue to trade profitability, and help them get through the challenging trading period ahead.

Related Articles

Harley & Marley unveils Ireland’s first sustainable fish pet food →

Milish Bakery secures multi-million euro deal with M&S →

On your team →

Get the scoop →