Appetite for artisan food helps Dunnes win the grocery battle

EFFORTS by Dunnes Stores to lure customers with artisan and premium food are paying off, as it has cemented its position as Ireland’s top grocery retailer.

New figures from research group Kantar Worldpanel show that the secretive family chain – still headed by matriarch Margaret Heffernan and her brother Frank Dunne – had a 23.1pc share of the country’s multi-billion euro grocery market during the 12 weeks to February 25.

That’s ahead of the 22.3pc by Tesco and SuperValu’s 22pc.

David Berry, director at Kantar Worldpanel, said that two factors had led to the spending growth in the 12 weeks to near the end of February.