Building on a strong 2016, Supervalu have today announced plans to open three new stores creating 190 jobs. The new stores come as a part of an overall investment of €35 million by the group into store revamps. The retail group announced today that it recorded retail sales of €2.67 billion in 2016, setting a new record for the brand.

When discussing the group’s plans for 2017, Managing Director of SuperValu, Martin Kelleher said, “In 2017, we look forward to adding 190 jobs to the SuperValu network with the opening of three new stores and to continuing our support for important local community initiatives such as SuperValu TidyTowns.”

Kelleher added, “As part of our innovation agenda, we will also invest in new product ranges and services to offer consumers and provide even more ways for customers to save money on their weekly shop through our market-leading loyalty programme, Real Rewards.”

SuperValu serves over 2.6 million customers every week and has 219 stores nationwide. Along with its retail partners, SuperValu employs approximately 14,500 people, making it one of the State’s largest private sector employers. The group also sources from over 2,200 Irish suppliers, more than any other grocery retailer in the Irish market. This equates to an annual economic contribution of €2.19 billion.

One of the key business milestones for SuperValu in 2016 was the expansion of its Real Rewards loyalty scheme which has over 1 million members and six national partners including Aer Lingus and Electric Ireland. As well as instore, SuperValu’s online shopping facilities were another key sales driver for the brand, growing by 22% in 2016. The shift to mobile was a key trend with visits from customers browsing SuperValu.ie on smartphones up by 180%.