Four SuperValu and Centra stores here will stock a limited range of M&S products as part of a trial retail partnership between Musgrave and M&S Food.
A select range of M&S Food will be available in two SuperValu and two Centra stores during the trial, including fresh sandwiches, salads and fruit pots, dine-in options, deli choices, Percy Pig sweets and Colin the Caterpillar cakes.
All four locations will feature an in-store bakery offering M&S baked goods.
SuperValu Portstewart, SuperValu Lisburn, Centra Mallusk and Centra Foxes Glen (Stewartstown Road, Belfast) have been named as the sites participating in the programme, which will take effect later this month.
A spokesperson for Musgrave said there are currently no plans for M&S to carry any Musgrave branded products.
Trevor Magill, MD of Musgrave said the move is part of its continued efforts to expand its product range in store.
“Alongside our own extensive and high-quality product range in both SuperValu and Centra, this trial partnership with M&S Food allows us to continue delivering a really compelling offering to our customers and fully supports our ambition of being number one in the convenience retail market,” he said,
David Phillpot, Franchise Trading Director at M&S added: “We constantly review how to make our trusted-value product range available to more customers and we’re very pleased to be taking part in this trial partnership with Musgrave Northern Ireland.
"Offering many of our store favourites, whether you’re looking to grab a quick snack or be inspired for your weekly shop, we look forward to seeing how Northern Irish shoppers respond to this new approach.”
There are 141 SuperValu and Centra stores in the north, while M&S has 22 sites.
The collaboration between the grocers is not the first of its kind to take place here.
In 2021, Henderson Group, known for Spar and Eurostar, stepped in to address supply gaps in Sainsbury's stores in response to issues around the post-Brexit movement of goods from Britain into Northern Ireland.
The Mallusk-based wholesaler provided approximately 300 products, including local and national branded lines, as well as around 100 Spar products.
