Musgrave Northern Ireland has announced a £23 million store investment programme across its network in 2026. The leading convenience retailer, which operates the SuperValu, Centra and Mace brands, also unveiled a new look concept store in Newcastle with the opening of Centra The Barbican.
Having served as a convenience store since the 1980s, the much‑loved Barbican store has now joined the Centra brand following an investment of £1.4 million, marking a new chapter for a store that has been serving the local community for more than 40 years.
Speaking today, Musgrave NI’s Managing Director, Trevor Magill said:
“This £1.4 million investment marks an exciting new chapter for The Barbican – bringing together SuperValu’s strong food heritage and Centra’s modern convenience offer under one roof and reflects our commitment to offering local shoppers great food, modern convenience and real value for money.”
The redesigned store delivers a more seamless shopping experience, with an enhanced fresh food and deli offer, great coffee and food on the go, and a standout premium alcohol range. With more than 400 new lines including a dedicated ‘local’ section, a key focus of the store is the Dinner Made Easy zone, with an extended range of fresh foods, quality meat, sides and meal solutions.
Commenting on the wider store network investment, Trevor added:
“At Musgrave, we are ambitiously focused on growing our store network and continuing to innovate to provide our shoppers with what matters to them – not just excellent customer service and value for money but an extensive range of quality products with an emphasis on local alongside new technologies for a seamless shopping experience. We look forward to continuing to develop our SuperValu, Centra and Mace stores in 2026 and beyond.”
Already this year, Centra Irvinestown Road in Enniskillen recently opened its doors following a £650k investment while Centra Ballybogey and Centra Markethill have also joined the estate.
The announcement followed Musgrave’s annual retailer conference and Store of the Year Awards which took place at the Slieve Donard Hotel in Newcastle. Big winners on the night included overall brand winners – Woods’ SuperValu Fruitfield, Curry’s Centra Curr Road, McPolin’s Centra Annaclone, Gracey’s Mace Gasworks and Nugent’s Mace Mount Alverno Belfast.
Also on the night, Musgrave announced annual charity fundraising totals of £253,000 for Action Cancer through SuperValu and Centra stores while Mace stores raised £52,000 for NI Chest Heart and Stroke.
Musgrave Northern Ireland, which operates SuperValu, Centra and MACE brands, supports the employment of over 5,000 jobs, working with 250 local suppliers and investing significantly in local communities, as well as in sustainability and affordability initiatives.