Dunnes Stores

Dunnes Stores is Ireland's largest and leading retailer, founded in 1944 by Ben Dunne. It operates a unique combination of food, fashion, and homewares stores, primarily focusing on grocery supermarkets alongside clothing and household goods. Many larger Dunnes locations feature cafés branded either as Café Sol or Dunnes Stores Café. The company is privately owned and has maintained a strong market presence in Ireland, recognized for its "Better Value" philosophy, which emphasizes delivering quality products at competitive prices.

With approximately 138 stores distributed across Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Spain, Dunnes Stores operates extensively in physical retail and online platforms. In Ireland alone, there are around 118 outlets. The company employs over 18,000 people in these regions, underscoring its significant footprint in the retail sector. Dunnes is a dominant player in the Irish grocery market, consistently holding a top-three market share alongside Tesco and SuperValu, and has been Ireland's number one supermarket since 2018.

The grocery section typically comprises fresh and local produce, supported by exclusive brands such as their own 'My Family Favourites' range, previously known as St Bernard. They also offer award-winning lines like the "Simply Better" range. In fashion and homewares, Dunnes promotes affordable quality, including collaborations with renowned Irish designers like Paul Costelloe and Carolyn Donnelly and produces in-house brands like Savida and Gallery.

Dunnes Stores supports a range of selling points including supermarkets, convenience stores, distribution centers, and warehouses across Ireland. Its retail innovation includes pioneering Ireland's first out-of-town shopping center in 1966 at Cornelscourt, which remains a flagship store. The company also actively supports local Irish suppliers, enriching its product offerings.

Financially, Dunnes Stores operates in the turnover bracket of 1 to 10 billion euros as of recent estimates around 2024. Its extensive retail network and multi-channel approach position it as a key partner for manufacturers and suppliers aiming to engage the Irish market with food, drinks, and beauty products.

Our approach to sustainability follows the familiar hierarchy: remove, reduce, reuse, recycle. We are looking to eliminate or minimise difficult to recycle packaging such as laminates and composites, and challenging materials such as PVC, EPS, PS, oxo-degradable, and any plastics containing BPA's or BPA substitues.