Irish consumers have some of the highest engagement with premium vending and self-serve coffee machines in Europe | Photo credit: Frank and Honest

---

Centra has credited its in-store Frank & Honest self-serve coffee offer with boosting sales in 2021. Reporting its full-year results, the convenience retailer, which is owned by Irish food & beverage distributor Musgrave Group, said sales grow 2.5% to €1.98bn over the period. 

Musgrave Group has invested in super automatic Swiss-made Eversys coffee machines for its approximately 700 Frank and Honest take-away sites operating in Centra (568 stores), SuperValu (248) and Mace (42) convenience stores across the Island of Ireland.

The first Frank and Honest Gourmet Coffee Company stand-alone café was opened in County Meath in August 2019.

The Centra convenience store brand also announced a €25m investment in an expansion programme which will see 18 new Centra stores open this year, building on the 11 opened in 2021. All new Centra stores planned will have Frank & Honest coffee available.

“This robust sales performance underscores our position as Ireland’s leading convenience retailer. We have seen significant growth driven by increasing consumer demand for healthy and high-quality own-brand products at reasonable prices. We are continuously redefining convenience retail to ensure we satisfy the evolving needs of our shoppers by offering market-leading ranges. We are acutely aware of the rising cost of living challenges and we are working hard with our suppliers and retail partners to continue delivering the best value and quality to our customers,” said Ian Allen, Managing Director, Centra.

Project Café Europe 2020 found that Irish consumers exhibit some of the highest engagement of premium vending and self-serve coffee machines in Europe. Alongside Frank and Honest, both Costa Coffee and Insomnia have invested heavily in recent years in self-service kiosks in the country.