The Griffin Group takes on Tesco
The Griffin Group and Tesco clash over whether the supermarket giant should be allowed to open new off-licences in areas already served by existing outlets.
Print16 March 2011
The Griffin Group, who own over 20 Londis stores, has come up against the mighty Tesco in court over the past month in relation to the granting of off-licences for Tesco’s new Express stores.
As Tesco grows its convenience model, new stores are opening around the country and the multiple is applying for off-licences in many of them.
A couple of these new Tesco convenience stores have opened beside Griffin’s Londis stores in Galway and Dublin.
The stores in Newcastle, Galway, are situated close to the University. Griffin’s already had an off-licence and it was judged that the area did not need another off-licence as it might lead to anti-social behaviour in a residential area.
According to Trevor Kearns, manager of the Market in Belarmine also owned by the Griffin Group: “Tesco was unprepared with an air of arrogance that its licence was a given in Galway.”
He said that Tesco was so sure that it would be granted a licence that it had allegedly ordered in stock before receiving the licence.
Griffin’s weren’t so lucky in Dublin when Tesco was granted an off-licence on appeal for a new Tesco Express store on Fleet Street in Temple Bar which is very close to another of Griffin’s stores on Westmoreland Street.
Griffin’s believes this new off-licence will negatively affect its business. Kearns added that a new Tesco store was not beneficial to the area.
“Tesco employ less staff than a typical convenience store of the same size and also 90% of their alcohol comes through the British market costing even more Irish jobs.”
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