BWG Foods UC is an Irish
wholesaler
Wholesaling or distributing is the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional or other professional business users; or to other wholesalers (wholesale businesses) and related subordinated services. In ...
and retail grocery
franchise
Franchise may refer to:
Business and law
* Franchising, a business method that involves licensing of trademarks and methods of doing business to franchisees
* Franchise, a privilege to operate a type of business such as a cable television p ...
operator.
BWG is the second largest wholesaler in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
in terms of sales, after
Musgrave Group
Musgrave Group Ltd. is an Irish food wholesaler, founded in Cork by the Musgrave brothers, Thomas and Stuart in 1876. It is currently Ireland's largest grocery distributor, with operations in Ireland and Spain with estimated annual sales of ove ...
, with sales of over €1.7 billion annually. It used to be owned by a consortium run by Leo Crawford, John O'Donnell and John Clohessy. In later years, The Spar Group (TSG) of South Africa acquired an 80% stake in BWG in 2015 for €55 million. In 2021 TSG gained full control over BWG and owns 100% thereof. The company head office is based in
Tallaght
)
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, image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin
, image_flag =
, flag_size =
, pushpin_map = Dublin#Ireland
, pushpin_label_position = left
, ...
,
Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...
, Ireland.
History
In 2000, BWG purchased the
Mace franchise area in Munster owned by Vantage Wholesale, merging it with its existing franchise area in
Leinster
Leinster ( ; ga, Laighin or ) is one of the provinces of Ireland, situated in the southeast and east of Ireland. The province comprises the ancient Kingdoms of Meath, Leinster and Osraige. Following the 12th-century Norman invasion of ...
.
As of 2002, BWG was owned by
Pernod Ricard who had acquired the business as part of
Irish Distillers
Irish Distillers is a subsidiary of the French drinks conglomerate Pernod Ricard. It is the largest distiller of Irish whiskey, distilling popular brands such as Jameson and Powers, in addition to premium whiskeys such as Redbreast and Midleto ...
, but offered it for sale as it was not core to their business. BWG was sold via a management buyout financed by
Electra Partners
Unbound Group, formerly Electra Private Equity, is a British-based online company specialising in clothing and specialist footwear. Listed on the London Stock Exchange until 2022, it is listed on the Alternative Investment Market.
History
The ...
Europe for 220m
euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
. The current owners bought out Electra in 2006 through a vehicle called Triode, with a value of 390m euro placed on the firm.
BWG bought Tolan's Foodservice based in Galway in July 2003, and renamed it "BWG Foodservice". Also in 2003, BWG sold its
Bellevue cash & carry's in Edinburgh and
Stirling
Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
, Scotland in October, 5 years after buying it. The
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...
subsidiary
J&J Haslett, which held the franchise for Mace was sold in December 2003 via a
management buy out. (
Musgrave Group
Musgrave Group Ltd. is an Irish food wholesaler, founded in Cork by the Musgrave brothers, Thomas and Stuart in 1876. It is currently Ireland's largest grocery distributor, with operations in Ireland and Spain with estimated annual sales of ove ...
subsequently bought J&J Haslett). The
Bargain Booze
Bargain Booze is a chain of off licence shops, that operates in the United Kingdom. Established in 1981 in Sandbach, it grew to 836 shops and established the Bargain Booze Select Convenience shop franchise.
From 2013 to April 2018, it was own ...
off-licence
A liquor store is a retail shop that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors – typically in bottles – usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (i ...
chain in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
was sold in 2004.
In 2008, BWG bought Mangan Bros Ltd a wholesaler based in Ennis, County Clare. With this purchase BWG took control of
Mace franchise throughout
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. The business consisted of 8
cash and carries in the West of Ireland, and a
distribution centre
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products (goods) to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to co ...
in
Collooney
Collooney or Coloony () is a town in County Sligo, Ireland.
Toponymy
Collooney is thought to derive from . Reverend Terrence O'Rorke has previously also suggested ''Culmaine'', as Collooney is designated this way in such works as ''the annals ...
in County Sligo supplying Mace stores. BWG promptly closed the Collooney centre and integrated it into their Ballyshannon facility. Seven Cash & Carry closures follow due to location overlaps and duplication, and all sites are now branded Value Centre.
As of September 2010, the company announced the closure of their warehouse in
Ballyshannon
Ballyshannon () is a town in County Donegal, Ireland. It is located at the southern end of the county where the N3 from Dublin ends and the N15 crosses the River Erne. Incorporated in 1613, it is one of the oldest towns in Ireland.
Location
B ...
, County Donegal, with the business transferring into the centre at Walkinstown, Dublin.
In May 2012 BWG acquired Morris Bros of
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
Donegal. Morris Bros operate a Distribution Centre that supply
Gala
Gala may refer to:
Music
* ''Gala'' (album), a 1990 album by the English alternative rock band Lush
*'' Gala – The Collection'', a 2016 album by Sarah Brightman
*GALA Choruses, an association of LGBT choral groups
*''Gala'', a 1986 album by T ...
stores and independent retailers in the north west of Ireland. In June 2012 a new ambient Distribution Centre opened in Kilcarberry, Dublin with the aim of consolidating distribution of ambient goods to all Spar and Mace stores under one roof, including its
Bonded warehouse
A bonded warehouse, or bond, is a building or other secured area in which dutiable goods may be stored, manipulated, or undergo manufacturing operations without payment of duty. It may be managed by the state or by private enterprise. In the ...
. The new 240,000 sq ft centre resulted in the closure of the existing centres in Limerick and Walkinstown, and was expected to handle 26 million cases per year. BWG announced a partnership with Donnellys Fruit & Veg in August 2012. This saw a new separate distribution centre for
chilled food Chilled food is food that is stored at refrigeration temperatures, which are at or below . The key requirements for chilled food products are good quality and microbiological safety at the point of consumption. They have been available in the Unite ...
s set up in Kilshane Cross, Dublin. The centre distributed fruit & veg, meats and other chilled products to all BWG's franchise stores nationwide. It affected BWG's
Central billing business as a result.
Notable operations
Spar
It is the master franchise operator for the
SPAR
SPAR, originally DESPAR, styled as DE SPAR, is a Dutch multinational that provides branding, supplies and support services for independently owned and operated food retail stores. It was founded in the Netherlands in 1932, by Adriaan van Well, ...
,
Spar Express and
EuroSpar brands in Ireland, with approximately 450 Spar stores. Spar Ireland reported €1.67 billion in retail sales in 2007.
In Ireland Spar operates in-store franchises for
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, or Timmie's is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain. Based in Toronto, Tim Hortons serves coffee, doughnuts, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service res ...
coffee,
Insomnia Coffee Company
Insomnia Coffee Company is an Irish independent coffee chain, with headquarters in Dublin. The first store location opened in the back of a Galway bookstore in August 1997. The company has over 150 stores and over 400 self-service units in ope ...
, Kitsu noodles and Treehouse smoothies among others.
In the south-west of England BWG also own Appleby Westward Foods. This is a small regional SPAR wholesaler based in Saltash, Cornwall.
Mace
BWG holds the master franchise for the
Mace chain of 230 stores in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
.
Maxol
Maxol is an Irish oil company, part of McMullan Bros. Limited. It was founded in 1920.
Organisation
Republic of Ireland
*Maxol Lubricants Ltd. (Lubricant supplier to the automotive, industrial, marine, and agricultural markets)
*Maxol Direct Ltd ...
and Mace also have an exclusive deal that sees most Maxol owned forecourt shops branded Mace.
Other operations
Newhill, BWG's retail subsidiary owns over 100 stores which are leased/rented to operators for an agreed percentage of turnover.
The stores trade as Spar and Mace.
BWG Foodservice
BWG Foodservice is a division which offers a full frozen/chill/ambient range aimed at the
foodservice
The foodservice (US English) or catering (British English) industry includes the businesses, institutions, and companies which prepare meals outside the home. It includes restaurants, school and hospital cafeterias, catering operations, and many ...
channel. The business was born from the purchase of Tolan foodservice and the main depot is still at the same site in Galway. A new site was opened at North Road, Dublin in 2007, and later a third in Cork. These sites are also Value Centres.
Value Centre
BWG owns Ireland's largest Cash & Carry chain, Value Centre, which has 22 branches nationwide.
Value Centre offer XL to its Value Centre customers as a franchise option. It is a more cost-effective way for retailers who are not suited to a full brand offering, like Spar, to get the benefits of franchise membership. They still receive the benefit of
Central billing without the expense or requirements of larger franchises. Competitors include
Gala
Gala may refer to:
Music
* ''Gala'' (album), a 1990 album by the English alternative rock band Lush
*'' Gala – The Collection'', a 2016 album by Sarah Brightman
*GALA Choruses, an association of LGBT choral groups
*''Gala'', a 1986 album by T ...
Express operated by Stonehouse Wholesale, and Daytoday operated by
Musgrave.
See also
*
List of Irish companies
This is a list of notable companies based in Ireland, or subsidiaries according to their sector. It includes companies from the entire island. The state of the Republic of Ireland covers five-sixths of the island, with Northern Ireland, part of th ...
References
External links
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bwg Foods
Retail companies of Ireland
Companies based in Dublin (city)