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Mace Turnover Set To Exceed €440 Million In 2005 |
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Mace alliance with Maxol Group celebrates 50th store opening
All Ireland Retail Conference warned on Groceries Order review
Mace has today confirmed its position as one of the Republic of Ireland ’s leading convenience retail brands as sales are set to exceed €440 million in 2005. The announcement was made at the All-Ireland Mace Retail Conference in Kilkenny where delegates also heard that Mace has reached a significant milestone in its alliance with Ireland ’s leading independent oil company, Maxol, following the opening of the 50th Maxol Mace forecourt store in Lucan, Co. Dublin . This brings the total invested by Maxol in its forecourt stores to €25 million over the past eight years.
The Conference was also told that planned investments by independent retailers in local communities could be curtailed if the Groceries Order is repealed and there is no provision banning predatory pricing.
Mr. Conor Whelan, Chairman of Mace, told delegates: “The Groceries Order has allowed independent retailers to confidently invest in providing local community-based retail facilities to the highest international standard, without being subjected to predatory pricing by the multiples. An effective ban on predatory pricing is essential to facilitate and encourage ongoing local investment in this important community-based sector within the economy.”
Commenting on the continued progress of the Mace brand, Mr. Whelan said, “The significant investment that has been made in the development of three distinct Mace formats - convenience, forecourt and supermarket - has underpinned our success because we have been able to deliver better quality and choice to consumers. By continuing this strategy, our plan, together with our independent retail partners, is to add a further 50 new stores to our network by 2007 at a total combined investment of €100 million on the basis that the regulatory environment for the sector will continue to encourage balanced and fair competition.”
Tom Noonan , Chief Executive of The Maxol Group said, “We are delighted to have achieved the milestone of 50 Mace shops on our company-owned forecourts in the Republic of Ireland . At €3.2million, our investment in Lucan represents our biggest commitment to date in the latest forecourt facilities and convenience retailing. We believe that the combination of the Maxol and Mace brands on our service stations represents a very good consumer proposition.”
Referring to the Groceries Order, Mr Noonan said: “We hope that the current review of the Groceries Order by Minister Martin will allow a regulatory environment where such investment and development will be encouraged and maintained."
This is the third All Ireland Retailer Conference to be staged by the Mace Group. The Conference is being attended by more than 200 Mace retailers. BWG Group operates the Mace franchise in Leinster and Munster , while Mangan Wholesale operate the franchise in Connacht and other Ulster counties. J&J Haslett operates the franchise in Northern Ireland . The Mace Group accounts for 250 stores in the Republic of Ireland employing over 5,000 people.
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