O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna has earned the prestigious title of ‘Best Medium SuperValu Store of the Year’ for 2026. This recognition highlights the exceptional standards maintained by one of Ireland’s premier retail outlets.
The Co. Galway store was one of several finalists from across the country who were nominated for the coveted award at the SuperValu National Conference held at The Great Southern Hotel in Killarney in February. In what was a highly competitive category, O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna stood out for its consistently high standards, strong food leadership and deep-rooted connection to the local community. As part of SuperValu’s network of independent retail partners, the store reflects the combination of local entrepreneurial drive and national-scale support that continues to set SuperValu apart in Irish retail.
The accolade recognises the outstanding performance achieved by the team at O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna across key areas, including fresh food excellence, quality and food leadership, people management and community engagement. The store was particularly commended for delivering a first-class shopping experience while maintaining a strong focus on local employment, customer relationships and support for local suppliers and community initiatives.
In accepting the award, store owner Yvonne O’Meara paid tribute to her late parents Marie and Donie, and to her dedicated team. She also thanked the store’s customers for their continued support and loyalty.
“We are incredibly proud to be named Best Medium SuperValu Store for 2026,” she enthused.
“This award means so much to our entire team, who bring energy, commitment and pride to their roles every single day. I’m not involved in sport, but this is our All-Ireland, our Oscar. There was a huge amount of warmth for us in the room. As a locally-owned and operated- store, we place huge importance on building genuine relationships with our customers and being an active part of the Portumna community.
“From the quality of our fresh food offering to the service we provide on the shop floor, everything we do is about delivering the very best experience for the people who support us week in, week out. I would like to pay tribute to my late parents Marie and Donie and to sincerely thank our colleagues, our customers and the wider community for their continued loyalty and support.”
Congratulating O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna on their win, SuperValu managing director Luke Hanlon said: “SuperValu has never been just a brand – it is a movement of independent retail entrepreneurs serving their communities with passion and purpose. Year after year, our retail partners deliver world-class standards, driven by their deep understanding of their customers at a truly local level.
“I would like to warmly congratulate O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna on this outstanding achievement. Their commitment to quality food, exceptional service and community leadership truly embodies what SuperValu stands for. It is stores like this that bring our independent retail model to life in communities across the country.
“What sets SuperValu apart is the passion and commitment of our retail partners and the role they play in providing local employment, supporting local suppliers and helping to build stronger communities across Ireland. Each year, these awards serve as a reminder of that commitment and the extraordinary standards being delivered in SuperValu stores nationwide.”
The success didn’t happen by accident as Yvonne explains: “We’re always striving for improvement so we decided to take a helicopter view of the business a couple of years ago. We looked at other SuperValu stores to see what they were offering, to see what we didn’t have and went after it.
“We looked at areas where we needed to improve and how we could give our customers a better shopping experience as well as increasing our NPS (Net Promoter Score) which was already one of the highest in Ireland. We focused on our bakery, deli, meat counter and fresh food offering in particular, and reviewed our entire range and packaging. We also invested in management training and realigned what our roles were within the shop.”
The affable managing director continues: “Furthermore, we looked at shops in England and food safaris in Dublin and Cork to see what they were doing. We’ve invested very heavily in our store. Recognising that our team is our greatest asset, we have training pathways for our team to help them develop into their roles. We also have team night outs to celebrate wins as well as summer and end-of-year parties. We’d be nothing without them or the community who support us. We’re proud to have the best local talent working with us.
“We’ve also placed a big emphasis on social media. On Instagram, we created a story of how we’ve got here and gave followers another reason to shop with us. In addition, we use social media to offer a free in-store service with our qualified nutritionist Seberina Darcy, who helps followers to make informed food choices and gives meal ideas and dietary tips. Our customers and wider community are really engaged with this content and love the advice given.
“As a member of the SuperValu Retail Council for Musgrave retailers, I’m invested in all SuperValus. Our brand is very strong and we are rooted in helping each other and the community. It goes without saying that we have a fantastic relationship with Musgraves who have always been a tremendous support to us.”
O’Meara’s celebrated 45 years in business last December and are proud to be one of the oldest SuperValu stores in the country. In 2022, the family-run operation unveiled a new-look store following a significant investment. As well as creating additional jobs, it now offers an extended range of top-quality produce, including a new Frank & Honest café, Moo’d handcrafted ice-cream, a new instore bakery with Special handmade donuts, new hot food, a new food-to-go range and a new Happy Pear range. The state-of-the-art store also boasts new seasonal offers space, new value offer space and a new own brand area.
Supporting local is of key importance to the O’Meara’s SuperValu team. To this end, customers are able to try out products from more local producers than ever in store. O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna are also committed to sustainability and have gone to great lengths to be as environmentally conscious as possible, investing €1.22 million into sustainability with the store’s innovative design.
From humble beginnings, O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna has grown into one of SuperValu’s flagship stores. It evolved from a bar and restaurant which Donie and Marie O’Meara had initially run.
“It all started in 1978 when my parents bought a small bar and restaurant on the Clonfert Road,” Yvonne reveals.
“They weren’t long in business when six German tourists called in on a Saturday evening looking for six Irish coffees. Dad sent mum into town to get some of the ingredients but there was nowhere open. Dad continued on and made them without the cream and the German tourists said ‘they were nicest Irish coffees they had ever tasted and ordered six more!’ Donie, however, was going to ensure he had all the ingredients for the next time!
“That led to him building a convenience store beside the bar which was one of the first VGs in the country. In 1988, he levelled the old property and built an 8,000 sq. ft. supermarket that subsequently became one of the first SuperValu’s in Ireland. In 2008, he levelled the whole place again and built a 14,000 sq. ft. store to bring it into the 21st century.
“In 2013, I came back to the family business after my mum passed away. I had been working in Manchester with Kelloggs which was a very fulfilling experience. We’ve invested €2 million in the last few years and continue to go from strength to strength.”
The acquisition of a second SuperValu store in Mountbellew last October underlines Yvonne’s ambition to grow the business and brand even further.
“We have big plans to revamp and extend the Mountbellew store which is 8,000 sq. ft. There is a brilliant team there headed up by Colm Byrne. We have also opened a new kitchen facility to cater for bakery for both stores,” she adds.
O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna has been a longstanding supporter of the local community and is a proud sponsor of local sports teams, Portumna Tidy Towns, local national and secondary schools, Cancer Care West as well as local Town Hall events. It’s O’Meara’s way of giving back to their customers and community.
Passionate about retail, Yvonne would like to take this opportunity to thank her customers and suppliers for their support and loyalty, as well as her fantastic team for their hard work, dedication and expertise. She is also grateful for the support of her brother John and husband Damien who supports in the store. Opening hours are 8am to 9pm seven days a week.
O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna
Clonfert Road,
Portumna,
Co. Galway,
H53 XE40.
Telephone: 090 974 1143
First published in Grocery & Retail Ireland magazine Vol 5 No 2, Summer 2026
featured, O’Meara’s SuperValu Portumna
