XL on track for 30 additional stores in 2013
-Independent shops increasingly opting for support structure and national profile while maintaining independence
Print2 August 2013
XL is planning to add 30 new stores by the end of this year, it was announced today by BWG Foods. This comes on the back of a landmark year for XL in 2012 when the brand reached the 200 store mark, making it Ireland’s fastest growing convenience group.
The XL stores will be located across the country, with over half already opened and another eight scheduled by the end of the summer. By year-end there are expected to be 230 XL stores across Ireland, providing employment to approximately 2,200 people locally.
Making the announcement, John Moane, managing director, BWG’s Wholesale Division, said: "XL stores are operated by independent retailers and this is part of what makes the brand such an attractive proposition to neighbourhood stores who want to maintain their autonomy while benefitting from the support and buying power of one of Ireland’s largest wholesale groups, BWG Foods.
"Price and value has been at the forefront of our retail plans for several years now and this strategy has been paying dividends in terms of store expansion and creating and sustaining employment in local towns right across the country. Shoppers are spending more time in their local community and looking for meaningful connections with their service providers; it’s here that XL has a critical advantage because convenience is in our DNA and the proof of our success lies in the fact we have opened 90 stores in the last three years and plan to open another 30 by year end."
Managing director of BWG Foods, Willie O’Byrne, added: "Several major developments took place across the BWG business last year which have positively impacted XL retailers, such as our new agreement with Donnelly Fruit & Veg to supply fresh and chilled goods to the entire store network. This year, XL retailers also stand to benefit from additional investment we are putting into our Value Centre network in Castlebar, Letterkenny, Sligo and Dundalk. This has been complemented by lots of activity at store level, ensuring XL is a brand staying close to its roots in local, community retailing."
The announcement follows the annual XL Retail Forum, ‘Going Further, Together’ where around 200 attendees gathered to hear from BWG Food’s management about plans for the brand, such as new technology solutions, category management tools and promotional support. Following the success of the company’s Enhance Your Store initiative in 2012 – where BWG Foods contributes 50% towards the cost of a store upgrade – it was confirmed that the programme would remain open to retailers in 2013.
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