Making the competition green with envy
Centra Waterloo Place has brought the first Green Kitchen to Northern Ireland, Neighbourhood Retailer finds out more.
In a city as animated as Derry/Londonderry, the recent addition of a modernised Centra to Waterloo Place has not gone unnoticed by the locals. Owned by the Kavanagh Group, the new site occupies a prime city centre location, welcoming crowds of customers from when it opens for the early morning coffee rush, to when it closes its doors in the evening devoid of the hundreds of sandwiches made on-site that day.
Sarah Doherty, who co-manages Centra Waterloo Place with colleague Darren Fullerton tells Neighbourhood Retailer that although the team expected the new store to be popular, even they have been surprised by the initial response. “It has been really busy,” she says. “It was a bit of a shock the first week when we ran out of everything but the whole concept has been hugely successful and we are thankful for that.”
The Centra fascia is operated by the Musgrave Group who last year announced a £100m commitment to the food and drink industry in Northern Ireland as well as a £10m investment into its store network across the region. Centra Waterloo Place is a representation of the two initiatives.
Food-to-go is one of the major drivers behind this city store. “We are the very first store in Northern Ireland to have a Green Kitchen,” says Sarah. “It’s very exciting and we have had great customer feedback. You get a lot of people coming in because of word of mouth saying they’ve heard about us from their friends. People always want to try new things.”
The first of its kind in the region, the Green Kitchen allows customers to create their own salads from a variety of fresh ingredients as well as pre-made options. Healthy eating is one of the biggest trends in the food-to-go sector and Sarah believes that the recent summer sun in Northern Ireland has had its own part to play in the popularity of the Green Kitchen’s salad range. “We have two fridges at the front of the store that begin every day packed with salads, sandwiches, and freshly cut fruit that are empty by the evening. People are enjoying healthier options year round but everybody is trying to be good for their holidays at the moment, especially with the nice weather that we have been having.”
And while there is a huge emphasis on fresh and healthy lines within the Centra brand, there is plenty of choice for other shoppers who prefer something a little more indulgent. Centra Waterloo Place’s Wing Bar is testament to this. A self-service counter, the Wing Bar stands proudly by the door of the shop serving up a range of chicken wings and food-to-go to customers in a rush. “We are very high convenience,” says Sarah. “It is about getting the customers in and suiting their needs if they are in a hurry but we also offer excellent customer service so they don’t feel as if they have been rushed in the shop.” The Wing Bar and Green Kitchen are joined by a carvery, hot food counter, deli, and ice cream station serving scoops of Carte D’Or. For those who have longer to linger, a 20-seater sit-in area has been designed especially for customer to relax and enjoy their meal. Sarah reports that Centra’s coffee concession, Frank & Honest coffee – that was recently been rolled out across the symbol profile – has been well received by the locals. “First thing in the morning we have a lot of people coming in for coffee and we offer a loyalty card so if they buy six cups, they get their seventh free. We’ve had a fantastic response to that.”
Sarah has been with the Kavanagh Group for 12 years and originally headed up their Derry/Londonderry SuperValu store which occupied the unit next door to where the new Centra now stands. A decision was made last year to close the SuperValu to reopen under the revitalised Centra brand with a strong focus on convenience and exciting food concepts. “The supermarket business wasn’t as suited to Derry because people weren’t coming into the city centre to do a full trolley shop. Centra is all about high convenience and food-to-go which is ideal for us. It’s completely different from what we are used to but it works for the location we are in,” says Sarah.
Popular with office workers, and students alike, the new convenience lines and in-house off licence are designed to appeal especially to their target market.
“The whole look of the shop has a modern, vibrant feel about it. It’s like no other store in the city centre, or even Derry/Londonderry. We are really high spec and the Kavanagh Group has made sure every detail has been done to perfection.”
Centra Waterloo Place is the second site for The Kavanagh Group in Northern Ireland who have 16 grocery and convenience outlets across the Republic of Ireland and England. Despite being based in Westport in Co. Mayo, Sarah remarks that the group have been extremely supportive through the process attending all site meetings and in daily contact with the Derry/Londonderry store.
“The support is there,” she says. “It’s a new step for all of us and we are learning all the time but it’s been successful so far and I hope it continues.”
