£2m plan to grow Value Centre

VALUE Centre, the cash and carry chain owned by BWG Foods Ltd, has outlined details of a £2 million investment programme.

The programme involves the refurbishment of the Egans outlet on the North Circular Road, Dublin, the relocation to purpose-built premises of the Value Centre branches in Walkinstown, Dublin, and Midleton, Co Cork, and thee trebling in size of the Galway branch.

Value Centre has a projected turnover this year of £120 million and employs 250 at 31 cash-and-carry outlets.

"Value Centre's 1997 projects reflect our commitment to growing the business by improving service to our customers and their shopping experience with us," said Mr Leo Crawford, managing director with BWG Foods.

A new fascia design for the chain's independent customer base is being introduced by the company and is part of a programme aimed at aiding the survival of independent retailers.

"The survival of independent retailers requires them to move ahead to better technology, lighting and hygiene," said Mr Willie O'Bryne, cash-and-carry director with BWG.

Independent retailers provide a strong market base for Value Centre. "We see their survival as being essential for our growth."

The chain wishes to work "in partnership" with independent retailers but without pushing them into a symbol group.

The main elements of the programme are the development of a common shopfront look, the introduction of an electronic ordering system and in-store scanning.

Independent retailers needed to become "computer literate" if they wished to survive, Mr O'Byrne said. The Value Centre chain had diversified into supplying the licensed and catering trades in recent years "but independent retailers are still very important to us", he added.

BWG is owned by Irish Distillers. It has the Spar franchise in Ireland and shares the Mace franchise.