As many as 82 jobs at SuperValu owner Musgrave are under threat as the company trims costs in what it said was a “rapidly evolving market”.
The Cork-headquartered supermarket and wholesale group owns the SuperValu, Centra, Donnybrook Fair and Daybreak retail brands. The affected jobs are at group level and are mainly in human resources and finance, with the cuts expected to be spread across Dublin, Cork and Belfast.
The company said it would instead work with digital services and consulting company Infosys to support its operations.
[ Donnybrook Fair store in Dundrum Town Centre to close this weekend, staff toldOpens in new window ]
Staff were being informed of the plan on Thursday, and a consultation process is under way.
In a statement, Musgrave said it was implementing changes to “support its ambition to build a modern, world-class food and beverage business capable of meeting the demands of a rapidly evolving market”.
“These changes will enhance our ability to innovate, operate efficiently, and continue investing in our brands, our customers, and the communities we serve across the Island of Ireland,” it said.
“Regrettably, this means up to 82 roles across our finance and HR functions in Dublin, Cork and Belfast are at risk of redundancy. We recognise how difficult this news is and want to be clear that it is in no way a reflection on the commitment or professionalism of the colleagues affected.”
The company employs around 12,000 people across the island of Ireland, with the bulk of staff working in the retail and wholesale operations.
The news of possible redundancies comes less than a month after it announced the closure of its Donnybrook Fair store in Dundrum, which employed 23 staff. Its Baggot Street location closed in November 2024, with affected staff offered positions at other Donnybrook Fair locations.
Musgrave acquired the Donnybrook Fair chain in a deal worth up to €25 million in 2018 from husband and wife team, Joe and Mary Doyle, who founded and controlled Donnybrook Fair.
Musgrave is a family-owned business that spans 150 years. Started by brothers Thomas and Stuart Musgrave in a Cork premises in 1876, it now owns 19 retail and wholesale brands, including specialist food service supplier La Rousse Foods, Italicatessen, and Frank and Honest coffee.
The Cork-headquartered group’s most recent accounts, for 2024, show pretax profits rose 5 per cent to €134.5 million from €116 million, or almost €2.6 million a week. Turnover reached a new high in 2024, growing to €5.2 billion.
Shareholders also benefitted from the bumper year, with a €22 million dividend, up from €20.8 million in 2023.
However, the company had warned of a tougher start to 2025, as household budgets continued to be squeezed and retail, hospitality and food service dealt with rising costs.
Recent data indicated that grocery prices were continuing to climb in 2026, with the rate of inflation in Irish supermarkets put at almost 7 per cent in the 12 weeks to the end of January.
Its SuperValu grocery chain has just under 20 per cent of the Irish market, behind Dunnes Stores and Tesco, according to figures from retail analysts Worldpanel by Numerator.