There was double delight for Garvey’s SuperValu Listowel recently when it was named ‘Overall Best Supermarket in the Country 2024/25’ at the AIB Merchant Services Retail Excellence National Awards and also scooped the ‘Best Fresh Meat Offering’ at the National Grocery Retail Awards.
No stranger to winning coveted accolades, the north Kerry retailer saw off stiff competition to claim the ‘Overall Best Supermarket in the Country’ Award which recognises outstanding service, quality and commitment in the supermarket sector. It is a central part of the Retail Excellence Awards which were established in 1997 to promote best practice and encourage the highest standards in the Irish retail industry, and were presented at a ceremony held at The Galmont Hotel & Spa in Galway on November 2 last.
Part of the fabric of Listowel and its hinterland, Garvey’s SuperValu was also delighted to be among the winners at the National Grocery Retail Awards which took place at the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Dublin and celebrate best-in-class performances across all areas of grocery retailing.
The double success came just a few weeks after the busy Convent Street supermarket unveiled its bright new look following a period of refurbishment.
“We were thrilled to win the two awards,” Garvey’s SuperValu Listowel store manager Paul O’Connor enthuses.
“It’s all down to our amazing team who go above and beyond for our customers every day. These awards are a testament to their hard work and commitment to customer service. To be named ‘Overall Best Supermarket in the Country’ is an unbelievable achievement for everyone concerned. It was open to all supermarkets and for us to win it – coming from a small town in north Kerry – shows how we’re punching above our weight.
“All meat counters were also eligible to enter the ‘Best Fresh Meat Offering’ category in the National Grocery Retail Awards which we were also delighted to win. Our meat counter manager Seanie O’Sullivan heads up a great team who take great pride in their Prepared by Butcher meals and dry-aged beef in particular.
“They also enjoy a great rapport with our customers which is very important in a rural area as it might be the only interaction some of them will have on a given day.”
Employing 110 people, the store is part of the Garvey Group which operates seven SuperValu and three Centra stores in the South and South-West. The SuperValu stores are located in Corbally, Tralee, Castleisland, Dingle, Listowel, Dungarvan and Cobh, while the three Centra outlets are in Dungarvan, Adare and Newcastle West.
Founded in Dingle in 1935, the Garvey Group’s success has been achieved through the vision of its management team, the skill and wholehearted committed of all employees, its dedication to achieving the highest standards and its ongoing support of the local communities it is proud to serve. Passionate about fresh food, the Group prides itself on offering customers the very best in locally-sourced fresh produce which is delivered on a daily basis. Each store goes to great lengths to source the freshest fresh fruit and vegetables from farmers and food producers in their locality. They believe fresh is always best!
Originally a Londis supermarket, the Listowel store has been trading as Garvey’s SuperValu for over two decades and recently underwent a revamp and redesign which has enabled it to offer an extended range of produce and an enhanced shopping experience.
“With 20,000 sq. ft. of floor space, it was bigger than your typical Londis,” says Paul, who joined the Garvey Group in 1993.
“The store has remained the same size, but the layout and design has changed as a result of our revamp which was carried out between April and August 2024. Our scratch bakery and deli counter, which offers a wide range of ready-made meals, were moved towards the main entrance and this has helped to draw in extra customers.
“The store also incorporates a Post Office and café, and boasts a carpark with 160 spaces. We are trying to create a community hub and place a strong emphasis on fresh food produce from local suppliers.”
When entering Garvey’s SuperValu Listowel, customers are greeted with a smile and an array of quality fresh foods across all departments. The store offers a full range of scratch bakery, deli, meat, fresh and veg, dairy and groceries. Its award-winning craft butchers offer a wide range of prepared-by-butcher meals, while their 28-day dry-aged beef is renowned for its flavour and tenderness.
Garvey’s SuperValu also has a large selection of specialty foods and stocks a wide variety of wines and beers in its off-licence from local, national and international producers. Furthermore, the store combines the best of SuperValu’s own grocery brands with the leading brands.
The store is a proud supporter of the local community. It is both an autism- and dementia-friendly store with staff who are trained to help in any way possible. Indeed, checkout supervisors Sharon McHugh and Sabrina Murphy are actively involved in a local committee which is seeking to make Listowel an autism- and dementia-friendly town in the near future. SuperValu also sponsors the GAA Football All-Ireland Championships and the National Tidy Towns competition.
“We’re big supporters of Listowel Tidy Towns and Chamber of Commerce. It’s important to give back to our customers who support us day in, day out.”
Paul concludes by thanking his team for their hard work, dedication and expertise.
“Our success is all down to them. I can’t stress that enough. They have a real passion for what they do and are always striving for improvement. Last summer, we brought a party of 10 to London just to get ideas from what other stores are doing over there. It was a great trip which we learned a lot from.”
Opening hours are 8am to 10pm Monday-Saturday and 8am to 9pm on Sundays.
Garvey’s SuperValu Listowel
Convent Street,
Listowel,
Co. Kerry,
V31 NF70.
Telephone: 068 21385
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.garveygroup.ie
First published in Grocery & Retail Ireland magazine Vol 4 No 1, Spring 2025
