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Superquinn to become SuperValu

Xavi6

Another iconic Irish name is to be lost in 2014 with Superquinn's 24 stores being re-branded SuperValu -

https://twitter.com/superquinn_ie/status/365050434538323968

We’ve some important news – All Superquinn’s 24 stores will be renamed as SuperValu in February 2014

The sausages are going nowhere though -

https://twitter.com/superquinn_ie/status/365051596230500355

products like the Superquinn sausage, Superquinn steak and Sean’s brown bread will remain.

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seamus

Well Musgraves, you've taken a brand known for quality of service and good fresh food (Superquinn) and replaced it with an inferior brand, known for high prices, poor stock and barely in-date fresh food (SuperValu).

Should have done it the other way around, and changed the good SuperValu stores to Superquinn.

What they've done is the equivalent of sticking a Lada badge on a BMW.

Irishcrx

Yeah they should have re-branded supervalue to superquinn...I hate going to supervalue , food is crap, over priced and as said barely in date.

And then you get to the checkout which takes forever because it is always understaffed and Mary is too bsy having a conversation with Maura about how last weeks tea party was to actually check out the items and get people served.

rustedtrumpet

Nothin beats d sausages

SpaceTime

That's not the experience I've ever had with my local SuperValu in the suburbs of Cork.

Range is much better than Tesco or Dunnes. Much better fruit and veg. There's a very good deli, fish counter, in store bakery, huge range of 'hard to get' specialist products and a very strong focus on artisan food. It also has a better range of wines than most places.

They're also much better staffed - more open checkouts, more staff available on the floor and at various counters and much friendlier and have bag packing helpers.

I think the issue is that not all SV stores are identical because they're franchises. Some occupy exactly the same niche as SuperQuinn did, others are just the local rural supermarket.

Around here it basically occupies the same space that Waitrose does in the UK.

SpaceTime

Maybe they should have a SuperValu+ brand for their fancier stores and the former SQ stores that make the grade.

They need a single brand to get economies of scale. So I don't think keeping SQ was ever going to happen.

I would have kept the Superquinn flower logo for those fancier stores and just merged it into the SV branding.

seamus

SpaceTime wrote: »

That's not the experience I've ever had with my local SuperValu in the suburbs of Cork.

There are a couple of SuperValu shops which have their own great reputation - the one in Clonakilty springs to mind. But they have this reputation regardless of the brand. They could change to Centra and the shop would still be great and well-known because of the standards the owner put in place.

By and large the brand isn't synonymous with quality. The smaller shops in particular conjure up images of a pokey, dirty shop, with very little stock selection, iffy bread and veg and staff that are impossible to engage with.

They should have used Superquinn as a brand for high-quality SuperValu shops. So set out a list of specific standards which a shop has to meet, and if they meet these, they can choose to rebrand in the Superquinn name.

ThisRegard

seamus wrote: »

Well Musgraves, you've taken a brand known for quality of service and good fresh food (Superquinn) and replaced it with an inferior brand, known for high prices, poor stock and barely in-date fresh food (SuperValu).

My Superquinn was within a couple of minutes walk and I initially thought the same when I heard it was becoming a Supervalu.

However I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the new Supervalu range, their 'finest' range is as good if not better than the Superquinn equivalent and the range of goods is better in my local store than it was when it was a Superquinn.

I do think Supervalu have stepped up a level.

SpaceTime

I'd add SQ itself was a bit varied in store quality too. Some of their older stores were only OK in the later years. Some looked a bit clapped out and dated by the end.

All supermarkets vary though. Theres a very big difference between a good and bad Dunnes or Tesco branch too. Both chains have excellent and dismal stores.

PauloConn

I like the supervalu's for lunches and shopping. Always good, fresh stock. While the Superquinn brand was big in Dublin and always a sign of quality, i'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. Although I'm sure the folks in Rathgar won't be too chuffed with a Supervalu right on the main street.....

c68zapdsm5i1ru

I've always found Supervalu to be quite good. The one in Churchtown is fabulous and some of the others are particularly good at significantly reducing food when it's nearing it's best before date. Their prices have always been far more reasonable than Superquinn as well.
They always have lovely staff as well - mainly older local women who are always happy to chat or be helpful.

Shedite27

SuperValue Glanmire is the best supermarket in Ireland in my opinion.

Free parking, good selection of products, nice bakery and seem to employ every second person in the village

Annasopra

rustedtrumpet wrote: »

Nothin beats d sausages

to be honest - they're not that much really

greenflash

mango salsa wrote: »

to be honest - they're not that much really

To be really honest, they're completely tasteless.

Tea brack is nice though.

DeanAustin

Never got SuperValu to be honest. Always likened the stores more to Spar or Londis shops than Tesco or Dunnes. Limited, overpriced range for my money and I don't know anyone that does a full shop in them.

Was in the brand spanking new one in Celbridge a month ago - like a ghost town. It's massive too. I just don't see how it can compete with the Tesco, Aldi and Lidl stores in Celbridge.

VeVeX

greenflash wrote: »

To be really honest, they're completely tasteless.

I agree. Don't know what the fuss is about them.

Much higher snout content then they used to have years ago.

playedalive

rustedtrumpet wrote: »

Nothin beats d sausages

Superquinn Sausages are nice with sweet honey on them.

Merkin

Superquinn in Blackrock was, to me, one of the best shops in the country tbh. Am very sad to see it go, it just won't be the same

J_E

mango salsa wrote: »

to be honest - they're not that much really

It's in people's heads. Bet for some people if you had two of the same sausage side by side and said one was a Superquinn sausage, they would swear to you that the SQ one tastes distinct and much nicer. It's a good little PR trick.

Bpmull

So will the superquinn stores still sell their rolls, brown soda bread, jam donuts etc? I know supervalu have bakeries and there quite good but you can't beat superquinn bakeries. It's a pity it's closing I always loved the one in Kilkenny. We normally shop in supervalu anyway but it was nice to be able to go into superquinn at the weekends and pick up the nice baked stuff and sausages etc.

pauliebdub

I never liked Supervalu and where im from it has the stigma of being an over priced large convenence store as for years it was the only supermarket in town before Tesco, Aldi and Lidl came along. Ill never set foot inside.

Eutow

PauloConn wrote: »

I like the supervalu's for lunches and shopping. Always good, fresh stock. While the Superquinn brand was big in Dublin and always a sign of quality, i'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. Although I'm sure the folks in Rathgar won't be too chuffed with a Supervalu right on the main street.....

Yeah, because Superquinn was super posh. Posher than Donnybrook Fair and M&S.

VeVeX wrote: »

I agree. Don't know what the fuss is about them.

Much higher snout content then they used to have years ago.

Don't forget the entrails.

dudara

I never took to Superquinn when I moved to Dublin - always found myself spending more than I planned. Good quality yes, but not worth the extra euro on the price. My local SuperValu in Churchtown gets a fair bit of my business as it's a great store, whereas the closer Superquinns in Ranelagh and Rathgar barely ever got my custom.

I personally have no objections to seeing the Superquinn brand disappear as I had no emotional links to it. SuperValu do really place an onus on supporting Irish and local produce, so that is a good thing, and they will have to fight for market share, so it will be interesting to see how they respond.

anncoates

I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of lower middle-class nostalgists and their stupid sausage fixation suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.

SpaceTime

The Superquinn sausage does have a bit of a nostalgia factor though.
I just associate them with my granny's fry ups.

I don't think they're a particularly amazingly high quality or gourmet sausage though. They're quite salty in my opinion.

That doesn't mean people are not attached to them though.

Capt'n Midnight

DeanAustin wrote: »

Never got SuperValu to be honest.
...
Was in the brand spanking new one in Celbridge a month ago - like a ghost town. It's massive too. I just don't see how it can compete with the Tesco, Aldi and Lidl stores in Celbridge.

That's a huge problem. The one in Lucan is jammers a lot of the time. And they aren't going there because it's called Supervalue.

road_high

Was just in the ex-Superquinn branch in Kilkenny now Super Valu.
Shame to see a lot of Superquinn products fall by the wayside like the baked goods are all but Super Valu as is the fruit/veg and pre-packed salads, meat also.
Had marketing people doing a tour of the store and explaining the changes as well complimentary wine and food.

However, overall it's not too bad, some good offers going on, more than when it was Superquinn I would think. Will definitely still shop there. I do feel Musgraves could have kept on the SQ name and stock the own brand range etc in the store. But I guess in the interests of streamlined marketing and cost it was probably easier re-brand. Had gotten used to it really as over the past year or two it has become Super Valu in all but name.

road_high

DeanAustin wrote: »

Never got SuperValu to be honest. Always likened the stores more to Spar or Londis shops than Tesco or Dunnes. Limited, overpriced range for my money and I don't know anyone that does a full shop in them.

Was in the brand spanking new one in Celbridge a month ago - like a ghost town. It's massive too. I just don't see how it can compete with the Tesco, Aldi and Lidl stores in Celbridge.

Personally think myself SV is superior to Tesco. Same/more offers but also nice fresh food which is where Tesco fails dismally for me. In the past they were more like a convinience type store but have moved way more multiple mainstream in the past 15 years or so. Would pick Super Valu over Dunnes or Tesco any day of the week now.

keith16

Merkin wrote: »

Superquinn in Blackrock was, to me, one of the best shops in the country tbh. Am very sad to see it go, it just won't be the same

eh not sure about that. Cramped store. Poor selection. Overpriced. The butcher is a shockingly poor service.

One of the most over-rated stores in the country tbh.

RahenyD5

With SQ gone, there may be a gap in the market for a premium supermarket other than M&S and Donnybrook Fair. Step forward Waitrose?

Banjoxed

Right, I'm going to set up a business ferrying Waitrose groceries to Ireland, complete with fake vans and Duchy Originals Jams. Delivery Staff will be dressed in dinner jackets and call customers "Sir" and "Modom".

Will that ease the Superquinn pain?