This year, Checkout commemorates its 40th anniversary under its current ownership, and with this in mind, every week, Retail Intelligence is going to ‘reel in the years’ and publish a story from our extensive archives. This article from October 2005 looks back at Select Retail Holdings' plans for Superquinn's flagship store in Blackrock, Co. Dublin.
Superquinn’s new owners – Select Retail Holdings – plan to make its outlet in Blackrock a flagship store to showcase their plans for the group.
Checkout has learned that SRH see the redevelopment of the Blackrock store as a major priority for the company, and that Superquinn wants the revamped store to become representative of the company’s ambition for the future.
While details of Superquinn’s plans for Blackrock are still unclear, Checkout understands that the new-look store will be a multi-level outlet with in-store theatre, product range and technology to match or beat any existing store in the Superquinn network and its competitors.
A high-level Superquinn source said it would become the ‘jewel in the Superquinn crown’.
The current Superquinn Blackrock store has always been on of the most popular stores in the company’s network, however the opening of the ultra-modern M&S store in the Frascati Centre has created increased competition in the upmarket Dublin suburb.
The more limited offering available in M&S means that it is not competition for Superquinn in the way a Tesco or a Dunnes would be, however with both stores appealing to a more affluent clientele, the 15,000 shoppers per week visiting the M&S store is sure to have an impact on Superquinn’s sales.
While the Blackrock store has been earmarked for redevelopment, Checkout also understands that – following an analysis of each store’s performance – the SRH/Superquinn board has made decisions on which stores will be redeveloped and which stores will be closed. However, no further details about this have been released.
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