Committed to making business easy for foodservice and wholesale customers, the Musgrave MarketPlace Ballymun Food Emporium now boasts over 1,000 additional products, upgraded food and beverage zones, alongside an enhanced Food Theatre, led by Head Development Chef Clément Pavie, which enables product demonstrations, menu planning and training services for customers, as well as facilitating leading industry events.

Speaking at the launch of the new Food Emporium, Thomas Morrison, Head of Musgrave MarketPlace, said: “Today marks an exciting milestone for Musgrave MarketPlace as we launch our new Next Generation Food Emporium at our Ballymun location following a significant investment.

“We are passionate about food and are committed to creating world-class shopping experiences for our customers, staying at the cutting edge of food trends to deliver the tastes and flavours that our customers expect. We are focused on providing the most extensive food and beverage range at the best value possible with a market leading service proposition. Our Ballymun Food Emporium embodies all of these commitments,” he concluded.

Upgrades at the Ballymun site, which serves over 3,000 food outlets and retail customers every week, include a revamped and extended Butchery offering. The butchery counter and walk-in chill room expands on previous service levels, now ready to hand pick and custom-cut meat to specifications. Over 60 Irish Beef, Pork and Lamb cuts have been added to the range including an exclusive range of over 30 Butcher Prime Certified Irish Angus Beef cuts and Irish Hampshire Pork.

Customers can enjoy an enhanced beverage zone with 1,400 products on offer across premium spirits, wines, champagne, soft drinks and more, as well as the Foods of the World Zone which sources the best of Irish and authentic foods, but also including dedicated areas for authentic Italian food range, Italicatessen, and an extensive range of Asian lines.

Meanwhile, Click & Collect has been improved alongside a prioritisation on digital transformation and sustainability across the branch. As part of these upgrades, and in line with our “Growing Sustainably Every Day” strategy, Musgrave MarketPlace is reusing all existing equipment including the chill freeze structure. In addition, LED lighting has been incorporated throughout the branch, as well as introducing a recycle station and upgrading electric vehicle chargers on site.

Furthermore, the Ballymun site has also enrolled in the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan, run by the National Biodiversity Centre, which will see the site facilitate changes to enhance biodiversity on site supporting the local environment and wildlife.

Musgrave MarketPlace, with nine outlets across the island of Ireland, offers a nationwide distribution and delivery solution and works with over 800 Irish suppliers, stocking over 3,500 quality Irish products across its 18,000 strong core and extended product range.

This latest investment comes following the acquisition of a number of specialist and premium foodservice brands to broaden and strengthen our food and beverage leadership credentials for the benefit of both wholesale and retail customers such as La Rousse Foods and Italicatessen.

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 Young Antrim artist, Charley Bell, a 17-year old student at Methodist College Belfast, has been chosen overall winner of this year’s 70th Texaco Children’s Art Competition, taking first prize in the senior 16-18 years age category.

Her winning work, for which she receives a prize of €1,500, is entitled ‘Anticipation’ and is a painstakingly detailed portrait study in coloured pencils.

In choosing it as the overall prize winner in the Competition, Final Adjudicator and Chairman of the judging panel, Gary Granville, Professor Emeritus of Education at the National College of Art and Design, described Charley’s artwork as “an exceptionally well executed portrait, that tells of an ‘aged serenity’, of a full life with a wealth of experience and wisdom.”

“There is a subversive energy, irrepressible optimism and underlying joy in the image that belies the stereotypical portrayal of aging. This wonderful work of art well-deserves the top award in this year’s Texaco Children’s Art Competition,” Professor Granville added.

No stranger to the Competition, Charley was also the overall Competition winner last year as well as winning Special Merit Awards in both 2020 and 2021.

The middle child of three, Charley first discovered her passion for art at a young age and went on to develop an ability to express herself more through her art works as she progressed through Grammar school. From an artistic family, older sister Carrie has won numerous Special Merit Awards in the Competition, whilst younger brother Rory has received a Commendation. With one year left to complete in school Charley believes art will play some role in her future down the line.

The inspiration for her prize-winning portrait came when she discovered a photo of an old woman and felt the emotion in her face would be fascinating to bring to life. “I like working with portraits and when I saw this photo the detailed expression on the woman’s face jumped out at me immediately. I knew it would be a challenging and interesting artwork to take on,” Charley explains.

In winning the prestigious overall prize and first place in the Category A age group, Charley and her fellow winners fought off the challenge from the young artists across Ireland who took part in the Competition. Amongst them are the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners and the fifteen Special Merit awards recipients in each of seven categories for which prizes are presented, including a category reserved for special needs children.

In Category A (16-18 years), other top winners were Donegal student, Weronika Jarowinska (age 16), a pupil at Loreto Secondary School Letterkenny who won second prize (€1,000) for her work entitled ‘Man to Machine’. Third prize (€750) went to Clare student, Eimear Fitzgerald (age 16), a pupil at Ennis Art School, for her work entitled ‘Best Friends’.

In Category B (14-15 years), first prize (€450) was won by Galway student, Darragh Granahan (age 15), from Gort Community School, for his work entitled ‘Unconditional Love’. Second prize (€350) went to Donegal student, Kerri Doherty (age 15), from Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town, for her work entitled ‘Granda’s Turn!’. A previous winner, Kerri won third prize in the 12-13 years age category in 2022 and a Special Merit Award in category B last year. Third prize (€250) was won by Limerick student, David MacAodha (age 15), a pupil at Coláiste Íde Agus Iosef, Abbeyfeale, for his work entitled ‘A Forgotten Life’. David won a Special Merit Award in the 12-13 years age category in 2021.

In Category C (12-13 years), first prize (€350) went to Mayo student, Charlotte Greham (age 12), from Breaffy National School, Ballina, for her artwork entitled ‘Inspiration’. Second prize (€250) was won by 13-years old Laois student Beth Phelan, from Paint Pots Art Group, Ballyfin, for her work entitled ‘The Farmhouse’. Third prize (€200) went to Meath student, Nicole Doherty (age 13), from Clarke Art Studio, Ratoath, for her work entitled ‘Contemplating’. Nicole won first prize in the 9-11 years age category in 2022.

In Category D (9-11 years), first prize (€250) has been won by 11-years old Clare student, Emily Coffey, a pupil at C.B.S. Ennis, for her work entitled ‘Gone But Not Forgotten’. Second prize (€200) was won by Cork student, Philippa Costello (age 10), a pupil at Watergrasshill National School, for her work entitled ‘My Community’. Third prize (€150) went to Kildare student, Danil Korolko (age 10) from Chóca Naofa Kilcock, for a work entitled ‘The Big Bang’.

In Category E (7-8 years), first prize (€200) was won by 8-years old Clare student, Sinéad Azkorbebeitia, from Ennis Art School, for her self-portrait. Second prize (€150) was won by Westmeath student, Nicholas Glynn (age 8) from All Saints’ National School, Mullingar, for his work entitled ‘Lost Little Lambs (Moate Park, Roscommon)’. A previous winner, Nicholas won Special Merit Awards last year and in 2022. Third prize (€125) went to Dublin student, Sophie Wardell (age 8), from Oakmount Crèche, UCD, for her work entitled ‘The Electric Bolt’.

In Category F (6 years and younger) – the youngest age group in the Competition – first prize (€150) was won by 4-year old Louth student, Tadhg Traynor, from Rainbow Club, Drogheda, for his work entitled ‘Dog’. Second prize (€125) went to Donegal student, Charles (Dominic) Gallagher (age 6), a pupil at St. Mary’s National School, Lifford, for his work entitled ‘Moving Oceans’. Last year, Charles (Dominic) also won second prize in the same age category. Third prize (€100) was won by Cork student, Sofia-May Kenefick (age 6), a pupil at Blarney Street C.B.S., for her work entitled ‘The Emotion Picture’.

In Category G, first prize of €1,500 was won by 18-years old James Moonan, from The Arthouse, Drogheda, for his work entitled ‘The Wren’s Nest’. A multiple previous winner, James also won first prize in Category G of the Competition in 2023, 2021, 2020, and in 2019, second prize in 2018, and Special Merit Awards in 2022 and 2017. Second prize (€1,000) went to Antrim student, Zara Craig, (age 16), a pupil at Ballyclare High School, for her work entitled ‘L’Ombre’. Also a multiple previous winner, Zara won first prize in the same category in 2022, second prize in 2021, and Special Merit Awards in 2020 and 2019. Third prize (€200) was won by Dublin student, Sofia Regan, (age 12), from Blackrock, for her work entitled ‘This is Me’.

James Twohig

Paying tribute to the young artists ‘whose imagination, creativity and love of art have been at the heart of the Competition since its inception seven decades ago’, James Twohig, Director of Ireland Operations at Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited – the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand – expressed gratitude to the parents, families and teachers who “encourage children to see in art an outlet through which to demonstrate their individuality and unique talent and ability”.

“Despite the many worldly attractions and devices that vie for the attention of today’s youth, it is extremely gratifying to know that many continue to show an enduring interest in art and to demonstrate their ability in the magnificent prize-winning entries we see today,” he said.

Judging

Final judging was carried out by the Chairman of the judging panel, Gary Granville, Professor Emeritus of Education at the National College of Art & Design. Supporting him in the adjudication process was a group of preliminary judges, each one a distinguished figure in the world of art in Ireland. They are: Dr. Denise Ferran (artist, art historian, and former President of the Royal Ulster Academy); Eoin Butler (artist and lecturer in visual arts); Marie Connole (artist, teacher and previous Texaco Children’s Art Competition winner); Noelle McAlinden (artist, curator and creative adviser) and Hetty Lawlor (artist, previous Texaco Children’s Art Competition winner and Sky Portrait Artist of the Year finalist).

Ireland’s longest-running Sponsorship

The Texaco Children’s Art Competition is popularly regarded as the longest-running sponsorship in the history of arts sponsoring in Ireland, with an unbroken history that dates back to the very first Competition held in 1955. This year, as has been the case throughout its life, it has been a platform on which young artists have had their talents recognised and a springboard on which many have risen to national prominence. Aside from giving students the space to give expression to their talent and skill, the Competition has focused a spotlight on the quality of art teaching in Irish schools and the importance that the educational establishment attaches to the subject of art education.

Past winners whose early interest in art and the arts may well have been encouraged by their participation in the Competition include artists, Robert Ballagh, Bernadette Madden, Dorothy Cross, and the late Graham Knuttel, fashion designer Paul Costelloe, and artist and former broadcaster Thelma Mansfield. Other notable past winners include former Minister, Ruairi Quinn (a four-times winner), communications consultant and broadcaster Terry Prone, Former ICTU Secretary and Chairman of the Pension Authority David Begg, actress Jean Anne Crowley, musician Ethna Tinney, Trinity College Professor of Contemporary Irish History Eunan O’Halpin and the late novelist Clare Boylan.

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With visitor figures up 22% on previous show in 2022, exhibitors reporting that substantial business was done and overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike, IFEX 2024 really did serve up a show that will benefit all those involved in the sector in the months and years ahead.

As an industry that has faced numerous challenges in recent years including the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shortages and increasing costs, the return of IFEX was welcomed from across the industry. Strong visitor numbers across the three days indicates that in an increasingly digitalised world, opportunities to meet face-to-face are still appealing. The event had significant sponsorship from the Department of the Economy, (DfE), the Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Stephens Catering Equipment and Flogas as well as association support form Hospitality Ulster, Retail NI, Hotels Federation NI, FSBNI, the Guild of Fine Food, Restaurants Association of Ireland, Chef Network and NI Takeaway Association.

Toby Wand, Managing Director of 365 Events, organisers of IFEX, commented: “With stellar industry support and a sold-out show, we had high hopes for the event, however IFEX 2024 has vastly exceeded all expectations welcoming a huge number of visitors over the three days – more than we have ever experienced before in previous years.

“Our industry has faced several years of uncertainty and unprecedented challenges of late and IFEX has provided a much-needed opportunity for sector representatives to meet face-to-face and plan for the future. With approximately 200 exhibitors and a wide range of features – including a number of new attractions – IFEX 2024 has delivered a show packed full of innovation and new ideas for the industry.

“On behalf of everyone at IFEX, we are incredibly thankful to the committed exhibitors and visitors who attended the show, demonstrating their support for the industry.”

Renowned chef, Dylan McGrath, who officially opened IFEX 2024

Expanding its floorplan by an additional 40% this year, exhibitor stands were both impressive and engaging with IFEX stalwarts Sysco and Henderson Foodservice showcasing produce from many of their suppliers. In addition, other major stands included impressive areas from Hugh Jordan and Stephens Catering Equipment.

Exhibitors’ efforts to showcase their business in the best possible manner added to the vibrancy of the event and for visitors, they got to sample the food and drink on offer, including the award-winning products that were on display at the Great Taste Market and the IFEX bar.

There was a range of new features at this year’s event including the Masters Arena, which shone a spotlight on coffee, bakery and butchery across the three days, the Spotlight Stage where industry experts shared their views on an array of topics and the IFEX Coffee Festival which hosted the SCA Ireland Cup Tasters Championship and many other competitions.

Emphasising the importance of the sector to the wider Northern Ireland business economy, IFEX 2024 was also visited by Minister for the Economy, Conor Murphy, First Minister, Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister, Emma Little-Pengelly, who toured the show and spoke with a number of exhibitors.

First-time exhibitor at IFEX, Adrian McLaughlin, Director of Outwalker Whiskey, said: “IFEX 2024 was a fantastic show for our business. We have made a lot of good contacts and have further raised the profile of Outwalker Whiskey which will hopefully help to propel it to the next level.

“We were delighted with the number of people who stopped by the IFEX Bar to taste and find out more about our premium product – it was a great success.

“Outwalker by its nature if adventurous, bold, free-spirited and somewhat unconventional and we’re confident that it will be a favourite Irish whiskey for many years to come.”

Also, during the exhibition, rising stars in the industry were identified, new champions in their field were awarded and renowned industry experts were recognised for their contribution to the sector. IFEX 2024 was Northern Ireland’s showcase for local excellence and across the three days, top awards were presented to those who excelled in their fields.

Taking home one of the biggest awards was Ben Armstrong, a chef at Old Barn Catering in Markethill who was crowned Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Northern Ireland Chef of the Year.

Also presented with certificates were the winners of the IFEX Innovation Awards. Designed to highlight and recognise outstanding products that have been created since the last event, industry winners included:

• Best Food and Drink product – Outwalker Whiskey
• Best Equipment, Design, Technology product – Ecobia for their Biodigester range

 With almost 200 exhibitors showcasing innovative products and services, visitors had a wealth of new products to see, taste and learn about. With everything from Irish Black Butter to revolutionary cleaning equipment and state of the art hospitality robots, IFEX 2024 delivered a plethora of products all under one roof.

As the premier trade event for the food, retail, drink and hospitality industry, IFEX returns to the Titanic Exhibition Centre, Belfast in March 2026. Register your interest with the team at 365 Events via the website: www.ifexexhibition.co.uk or contact Lyndsey Harker, Head of Sales by emailing: lyndsey@365-events.co.uk.

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How has 2023 been for Maxol overall and how has it compared to the previous 12 months?

“The Maxol business performed stronger than ever in 2023, with solid growth in our convenience, coffee and fresh food categories, which are critical to our repositioning as fuel becomes a smaller part of our business as new forms of mobility grow in importance” said Brian.

“2023 was the first year since the pandemic that we were able to experience more normal trading and working patterns in all of our five core areas of business – Retail Fuels, Wholesale Fuels, Retail Convenience, Fuel Cards and Lubricants.  However, the onset of higher inflation, tight labour markets and rising interest rates both at home and globally created new challenges not just for our business but the wider economy too. But consumer sentiment rebounded and customers continued to shop locally more frequently and, with the average transactional spend at Maxol stores higher than previous years, this suggests our convenience offer is the right one. The Covid boost and retention of new customers prevailed and indeed continues to grow. Hybrid working is another factor that is supporting this new trend and our stores have benefitted from the corresponding change in customer behaviour.”

2023 milestones

“2023 was an incredibly exciting year for Maxol that saw the business mark several significant milestones on our journey to becoming best known for our convenience led retail offer.

“Maxol invested €20m in the business, which included the acquisition and retrofit of Killeen’s service station in Wexford and the redevelopment of six other stores in ROI including Lucan, Greenhills, Templeogue in Dublin and Clonakilty, Ballincollig and Skehard Road in Cork ,   extending both our product and value range for customers.

“In Northern Ireland we completed both large and smaller scale developments at Marino in Holywood, Braid River in Ballymena along with Townparks and Portrush in County Antrim.

“These investments are primarily focused on enhancing our food and convenience retail offer with larger brighter stores, more car parking and using technology to create a brilliant customer experience such as installing more self-service checkouts and Pay at Pump technology for ease of fuelling, and convenience shopping.

“Working alongside our partners such as BWG and Bewley’s, we provided and continue to provide our customers with quality food solutions throughout the day, whether that’s a grab-and-go breakfast and lunch, freshly brewed ROSA Coffee as well as our extensive grocery offer including fresh fruit, vegetables, dairy and frozen food ranges. With the right offer in place to meet our customers’ needs we saw an uplift in shop sales of +21% last year.

Retail Conference

“Our first Retail Conference in more than five years, which we hosted at The K Club saw more than 200 Maxol retailers get together for knowledge sharing and to reflect on landmark moments from the past five years, which included an investment of more than €100M in the business, the acquisition and opening of 25 new service stations and the completion of 70 refurbishments.

“More importantly we looked ahead to the next five years and announced our future growth plans, which are central to our 2023-2027 strategy that will see the business invest a further €100m across our service station network and future proof the business for generations to come.

Homegrown at Maxol

“Continuing the busy streak, last year we launched a programme to support Ireland’s small and medium sized food and drinks producers to help them grow and scale up their business. Homegrown at Maxol invited all SMEs in food and drink to submit their products to the programme for an opportunity to win shelf space across around 70 Maxol stores, expert mentorship and €10,000 in marketing support. Homegrown at Maxol is about giving a hand-up to the many exciting SMEs and start-ups we have in Ireland by championing our local producers and while we initially we set out to support four, such was the interest and the calibre of entry that six winners were selected for the inaugural programme. The phenomenal response from our retailers, customers and the winners has encouraged us to develop the programme further and we are gearing up for 2024 in an effort to support even more small producers. Supporting local has always been a priority for our business – it’s one of the reasons we joined the Champion Green programme.

BAGS MORE

“It didn’t stop there! In August we launched Bags More, a new multi-platform campaign and our first TV ad in over seven years that highlights the convenience, value and wide range of grocery products Maxol offers customers every day beyond fuel. The all-Ireland campaign ran across TV, Radio, Outdoor, Digital and instore, and marked an important strategic milestone for Maxol. It set out our ambition to be a leading convenience retailer across the island of Ireland. Developed with Havas Dublin, the humorous ad resonated well with audiences, and we plan to double our media investment for the campaign in 2024.

NEW CHARITY PARTNERSHIP 

“In November we announced a new charity partnership with Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and Guide Dogs NI to support visually impaired people and people with autism. Having met with and spoken to several guide dog owners, the business fully appreciates the life-changing impact these highly trained and intuitive dogs can have. These special dogs give their owners confidence but crucially independence too.

“Throughout our two-year partnership we will support the charity by increasing the awareness and impact of the charity’s work. And we’re committed to funding the training of at least six assistance dogs across the island of Ireland, each of which costs €53,000

Stellar Year

“All of these factors have contributed to what was another stellar year for The Maxol Group in 2023, with strong revenue growth.  The momentum is being brought through to 2024 and we will have more exciting plans to announce in the coming weeks and months, as we invest even further in our network.

“The cost-of-living crisis remains a challenge for very many households. We saw grocery price inflation peak at 16.8% in mid-2023 (Kantar) and while inflation is now on a downward trend and interest rates have eased, the fact is that prices remain higher now than they were two years ago, and household budgets remain under pressure.  But as a family-owned and run business, we are recognised for the every-day value we offer our customers.  This means regular price promotions and in-store discounts.  Our loyalty app has been key in rewarding and retaining customers and bringing a new dimension to their experience with Maxol and has been particularly well received.

“We are still operating in a tight labour market and labour costs will continue to grow across the economy following the introduction of the minimum wage and the impending pensions auto-enrolment programme, alongside statutory sick pay and various other regulatory measures to support Ireland’s workers.

“Inflation is still an issue in the construction industry and while materials and labour costs have stabilised somewhat in recent months, they are still at a much higher level today than pre-2020.  This has a direct impact on our redevelopment and retrofit projects, but we do make provision for rising costs and are undeterred as we continue to develop and grow the business.

“Fluctuating fuel prices remained a challenge for much of the year as wholesale prices continued to be impacted by global events including Russia’s war in Ukraine and recent events in Gaza.

“While volatility in the market wasn’t on the same scale as 2022, it was a tricky time as we kept track of movements – both up and down – but fortunately we are seeing prices coming back and we work hard to deliver competitively priced fuel for our forecourt customers.

“Dealing with challenges is part of every business operation and while those challenges might change from year to year, we have a very clear strategy, backed by significant investment and support from our board that ensures we can achieve our objectives for the benefit of the business, and for our customers.

With a particular focus on ROI – there have been some significant developments and expansions in the last year – how important have these been for the company?

INVESTMENT

“Our five-year strategic plan will continue to evolve our business mix, further reducing our reliance on traditional fuels and increasing our non-fuel revenues. We will do this by focusing on key categories such as coffee, food to go and grocery, while taking a leadership role in quality advanced fuels and new energies for mobility, including electric charging hubs under Maxol Recharge.

Maxol Recharge EV HUB ROLL OUT

“I have referenced our significant €20M spend last year and how the redevelopment of key sites in our network are helping to drive growth. But, as we gear up for future mobility, one of our most important programme has been the development of our Ultra Rapid EV Charging hubs, two of which will open in ROI in the coming weeks at destination stores in Maxol Newbridge and Maxol Ballycoolin at a cost of almost €3m.

“Each will feature six high speed 200kw chargers offering a 15 minute charge time and Maxol is committed to supporting the move to EV with state-of-the-art destination service stations that fulfil all customer needs.

“This is a landmark move for Maxol in ROI and the next phase in our EV mobility roll out following the launch in December 2022 of Northern Ireland’s first dedicated Ultra Rapid EV hub in Kinnegar, Co Down and Maxol Braid River, Ballymena at the end of last year.

“When it comes to EV mobility, while our strategy is to offer EV charging in areas where we see greatest demand, the speed at which we can roll out our EV transition programme is hugely frustrating.  Access to power capacity and the time it takes to connect to the grid are ongoing challenges with no improvements in sight. The process is not aided by the high costs for substation and connection fees to establish these much-needed hubs both in ROI and NI.

“In developing our Ultra Rapid EV hubs we take a 360 degree approach using technology to create a measurably different service station, reducing the site’s existing carbon footprint by up to 40%. This includes the introduction of photovoltaic (solar) panels, low energy CO2 refrigeration systems; exhaust air-heat pump technology to reduce heating loads and an energy management system to monitor and control the overall energy usage on the site.

“More widely, technology is playing an increasing role in our stores and on our forecourts as we strive to give our customers speedy payment solutions. On the forecourt, Pay at Pump technology is more widely available to ensure greater convenience for customers during busy trading periods and Maxol loyalty app customers can pay for Fuel using the Fuel Pay feature in app. In selected stores in NI, self-service checkouts are now an integral part of our digital strategy and are proving popular with customers.

HVO ROLL-OUT FOR MAXOL FUEL CARD CUSTOMERS

“For our growing commercial customer base, since January Maxol has been providing Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) at nine sites across the country including three in ROI, with plans to introduce HVO at even more sites during the year. Maxol’s HVO Pro is a low emissions biodiesel, meaning it has up to 90% lower carbon emissions when compared with regular diesel, resulting in cleaner air. It is compatible with most diesel engines and supports our commitment to providing more sustainable fuel options, with a focus on fleet and fuel card customers.

What initiatives have the company taken to help retailers with rising business costs and pressures?

“With rising operating costs a real concern for all businesses, we will continue to invest in labour saving technologies such as self-check outs, electronic shelf edge labelling and also contactless payments for car washing, all of which are designed to help manage rising labour costs. In addition, our energy management system enables our retailers to monitor and control the overall energy usage on the site and we have been helping our retailers on ways to minimise their energy usage throughout the year and will continue to work closely with them on initiatives to help manage business costs.

And in conclusion?

“I believe that Maxol is one of Ireland’s great Irish family-owned businesses and will remain so for a long time to come.”

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As Ireland’s market leader, IF&CR asks what makes Circle K the special K among the Irish forecourt family.

As we enter a brand New Year, on the heels of COP 28, IF&R asked what is the short, medium and long term outlook for Circle K as Ireland’s largest forecourt and convenience store company?

“We have a clear global sustainability plan mapped out until 2030, and we adapt that to our own localities,” said Paul Dixon. “There are three clear parts to this plan– planet, people and prosperity”.

People

“Our people are at the core of our sustainability commitments. We have a zero-harm policy and we take the safety and security of our teams very seriously.

“For example, we now use a closed cash, Safe Pay system. Our store teams have no access to cash and this helps keep them safe. This investment has been really valued by our store teams. In 2024 we’re excited to continue the rollout of our Anti-Aggression system in stores which allows remote monitoring of our store teams for two-way communication and direct contact into the Gardai, ensuring our teams always feel safe.”

Prosperity

Prosperity isn’t just in respect of the company and its employees, but the local communities as well.

“We work closely with all our local communities. Last year, we raised €180,000 for the Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation. These funds equate to 10,350 hours of in-home nursing care and respite support for families which is just incredible. Circle K has formed a real partnership with the charity, often volunteering at the Jack & Jill Centre in Portlaoise. Before Christmas, I was up there myself painting and packing. It’s a proper partnership, and a charity very close to all our hearts,” Paul continued.

Planet

“COP28 was about global sustainability plans. A lot has been done but there’s a lot more to do, how do we reduce energy production for the planet’s sake and what role do we have as a business have to play in that? How do we reduce energy production?”

He explained that by 2030, 30% of the Circle K stores will be carbon neutral. “We are reducing energy consumption on site, all lighting is LED, or lighting back of house is on sensors. We have reduced lighting in stores and replaced old equipment with energy efficient fridges. Something as simple as installing fridges with doors has led to a 9% reduction in energy use – the fridge doesn’t need to work as hard to chill the products.”

Alternative Fuels

Circle K became the first fuel retailer in Ireland to power its national fleet of delivery vehicles with hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) renewable diesel, made from waste and by-products from the food industry.

“The big commitment from COP 28 is around fuel credentials. As a provider of fossil fuel, we have a big commitment. We are moving towards more sustainable fuels to a product called HVO100. For heavy goods vehicles and fleets this has reduced emissions by 90% and we are now supplying HVO to businesses across the country including Musgraves, Facebook and Brennan’s. 100% of our own fleet runs on HVO.

“We now have HVO at six sites and will introduce it to seven more sites this calendar year.”

“We are also investing in CNG – Compressed Natural Gas. We have four sites now in key motorway areas: Cashel, Dublin Port, Ballysimon in Limerick and Clonshaugh.

EV

Last year, Circle K announced a new range of own brand electric vehicle (EV) chargers to be installed across its network over the next two years and is committed to enhance its existing network of EV chargers, which is already the most extensive across the Irish forecourt and convenience retail industry.

“We are committed to improving the customer experience for EV drivers. We are investing €7m to add 30 brand new fast chargers. We have EV charging at 44 stores now and will have 25% network connectivity. Circle K will continue to invest and innovate in this space to ensure we meet the needs of our current and future EV customers.”

Global company

As a successful part of a global company, Ireland would appear to ‘punch above its weight’ when it comes to forecourt and convenience store retailing. Why do you think that might be?

“We have a very successful business in Circle K Ireland. It is something of a role model, a benchmark when it comes to other countries,” says Paul Dixon.

Circle K has around 20 locations in every county.

“We are proud of the fact that we serve 1.5 million customers each week in Ireland.

“We are lucky to have so many synergies, we can gather insights and draw on the experiences of the global Circle K market” explained Paul. “There are many good things happening globally, for example the EV hubs in Norway, other exciting developments in Europe and while we are happy with our place in Ireland, we are always keen to learn.

Global corporation

What can Ireland teach the global corporation and vice versa –  what can Ireland learn from elsewhere?

“We share information. The company has a great global culture and we can adopt and improve and take learnings from the global business culture. As I mentioned, the EV hubs in Norway are a great example. Close to my heart is seeing how we run our own stores with a “Make It Easy” mission, how we can simplify what we already have, to enable the best customer experience. We have made our learning more customer focused – and learned a lot from Europe.” said Paul.

“On the flip side, we are trusted in Ireland to lead and influence. A couple of examples that we have incorporated into stores are new technologies. Lift – an upsell screen attached to the till. Lift will learn what the customer is buying and make suggestions based on that. If the customer has bought a coffee, it might suggest a pastry to go with that. With fuel, it might offer a car wash. We are piloting this in Ireland with the intent to roll it out around the company. The Lift system is aligned with the till system and will react, based on the transaction.

“Another example we are proud of implementing in Ireland is the Easy Office initiative. In the six and a half years I’ve been with Circle K, I noticed that too much of the managers’ time was spent on admin. We’ve been working to reduce that admin time and burden for a few years now to get to a level that allowed us to move managers on to the shop floor. They have iPads and laptops for ordering by the tills. They have more time for interacting with customers and not stuck in a back office doing admin all the time. We have made managers who are leading from the front – I’m super proud of this.”

Customer habits

With the move away from fossil fuels and new forms of energy moving centre stage, how will Circle K adapt its offering in the future?

“We are adapting our offering and products as customers’ habits will change. Even fast EV chargers take around 20 minutes depending on the journey.

“During my time with Circle K I’ve seen a lot of change, and this will continue with future global expectations. EV penetration in Norway means we are taking customer learning back to Ireland. The aim is to make it as frictionless for the customer as possible. Whether fuel or electric, we will continue with developments and investment in-store.

“Our customers want a great coffee, and we are driving this forward through continued investment in our K Coffee machines as well as constantly improving and evolving our Fresh Food Fast range to provide high quality food. While the focus is on the Circle K range, we are also looking at partnerships with Subway and SuperMacs.

Improvements

“Basic improvements will include improving seating facilities instore for those customers waiting for their electric vehicle to charge, better toilets and other facilities. We will continue to do what we do well. Long journeys mean thirst so more beverages to go with food on-the-go. We have used some of the data from Norway – such as for food offerings. One of the sites has a complete seating area upstairs for ‘dwell time’ and to enhance the overall experience.”

Circle K stand alone stores

IF&CR asked Paul about the stand alone Circle K convenience stores – will we see more of this in Ireland in the future – perhaps in a 24 hour format?

“Circle K has had stand-alone convenience stores in Ireland since 2021. We acquired nine convenience stores – six in the city centre of Dublin and three in the outskirts of Dublin. This was a strategic acquisition to engage and attract new customers in a different market. For us, we are very comfortable in this space. There’s no fuel or fuel card business so a lot of learning from the forecourts in terms of the product, and the flip side is we can take that learning to the service stations. In short, it complements our core business well and we are very happy with this. On a personal note, as a Dub, I’m delighted to see it and take pride in these Dublin convenience stores.”

Regional differences – and similarities

Ireland is comprised of four provinces – Ulster, Munter, Leinster and Connaught – are there regional differences across the country in retail and operations terms – for example, do you notice regional variations, preferences, retail patters – that sort of thing?

“We are across the four provinces, and we trade in all counties, and we are there to serve local communities. We have 169 company owned stores, consistently offering value. Whether that’s in Bantry or Ballina, we aim to offer a similar experience. There will be local products side by side – for example local newspapers or products, but the experience would be very similar to what you’d see in any of the stores. It’s about simplification of the offer while fully understanding different markets and communities,” said Paul.

Definite evidence

Is there evidence that people are moving away from fossil fuels towards alternative – for example, the SIMI (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) figures for 2023 show sales of electric vehicles up 45%?

“With regard to EVs there is definitely evidence of increased demand. We see it in our own EV usage per site. Unleaded is starting to grow, as that’s what’s required for hybrid vehicles.

“Hybrid is increasing, we will see the move towards electric vehicles in stages and more hybrid vehicles before people decide to make the big switch to EV, but yet they can still feel they are doing their part.

“We are very ambitious in the EV sector and plan to spend over 7 million in the next 18 months, growing our site numbers with EV chargers to over 30.  We see this as a key part of our future offering to our customers and will offer the best-in-class high speed EV charging facilities.”

Community hubs

Will forecourts become community hubs – providing a whole range of local services, while supporting the needs of passing motorists?

“We will definitely see more community hubs – more seating around facilities creating social space, and parking. I do believe Circle K will be a key part of communities throughout Ireland, whether dealer or company owned.

“We play a huge part in local community football clubs through our partnership with the FAI – Football Association of Ireland – for grass roots football. We have given over €100,000 euro to seven clubs and supporting local competitions and players. This has been very influential in local communities, and helps with access, availability – key parts of community in Ireland.

“We are also moving towards providing night-time services for people who work the night shifts – such as taxi drivers, emergency workers and healthcare staff. These stores will be Open Doors 24/7 and provide much needed services within communities. This was something we learned from Denmark.

“From February night shift workers will be able to come in, get a coffee, browse the shop. Our customers aren’t just 7 to 11 but 24 hours and there is a thriving night-time economy. Now we can offer a better customer experience through the night.”

Surrounded by good people

How did Paul come to be  Circle K’s Senior Director Retail Sales and Operations?

“I’ve worked for 20 years in retail, more than half of my life. I progressed through Marks & Spencer for 14 years and joined Circle K six and a half years ago in a retail support role.

“Over four years ago, I was promoted to retail director, having joined the brand just before it re-branded from Topaz.  For me, I’ve been lucky enough to be given this opportunity – we have 2,200 people working in our stores.

“I was only with the company a few years when Covid-19 hit, and there is no textbook for dealing with that, but I’m proud of some of the fantastic initiatives we worked on, such as Easy Office and the stand alone stores in Dublin.

“I’m proud of that, and to work for a company that gives genuine opportunities to people and there are plenty of opportunities for internal progress.

“I am surrounded by good people. There is a great culture at Circle K. It’s agile and has a fantastic culture. I can’t stress that enough – Circle K is a fantastic place to work. We have won awards globally for that such as with Gallup and we are in the IBEC Top 100 for our wellbeing initiatives and people engagement.

“People literally like working for Circle K – we attract a good balance of people across genders and nationalities.”

Remarkable opportunities

“The opportunities that Circle K gives its staff are remarkable. Out of 12 Sales Market Managers, seven were working initially in stores when I started as a Retail Director. In the last four years, they have become senior leaders – there are excellent opportunities for people to develop. Circle K genuinely put people at the heart of the company and support staff through tougher economic times as well as providing free lunches and free coffees. Circle K deserves credit for how good a company it is, and the progress and opportunities it gives to its people.”

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