Inside Centra’s biggest-ever Northern Ireland store

The store, known locally as Centra The Barbican, reopened in April after transitioning from its sister retail brand, SuperValu, which had been serving the community since the 1980s. 

The strategy behind the transition was simple: to create a store that combined “SuperValu’s strong food heritage and Centra’s modern convenience offer”.

“Modern” is a key takeaway here. Upon entering the store, the layout feels bright and open, with wide aisles that give shoppers plenty of room to browse. And one thing is clear: Musgrave NI has prioritised the customer journey.

Across the store, illuminated signage acts as a visual map to guide footfall throughout, highlighting the designated zones for the ‘food for now’, ‘dinner for tonight’, ‘top up’, and alcohol missions. With concepts such as ‘Dinner Made Easy’ and the ‘Off Licence’ glowing in lights, time-poor shoppers know exactly where to go.

The ’dinner for tonight’ mission is hard to miss. The zone spans a vast range of fresh produce, meat, and convenient meal solutions – showcasing an extensive lineup of Musgrave’s brands.

The latter includes Donnybrook Fair, a high-end range spanning meals such as chicken tikka masala, spaghetti bolognese and fish pie, priced at two for £10 on selected lines. There’s also Easy Meals, which offers traditional dinners, such as slow-cooked beef ragu and chicken stuffing roast dinner, at three for £14.

For those craving Italian, Caramico offers pizza and a side or dessert for £8, and the Clean Cut range, which provides high-protein ready meals targeted at gym bunnies, is part of a three for £14 deal.

Another new concept is Meals @ The Barbican, marking the first time Musgrave NI has developed a bespoke sub-brand dedicated to a specific store. It consists of products freshly prepared on site, such as ginger, lemon and chilli pork chops, salt and chilli chicken bites, and quarter pounder burgers.

The store has also debuted a bay that is dedicated to local suppliers under a ‘Love Local?’ banner, featuring a range of products from suppliers on a rotational basis. These include Black Fire Sauces from Belfast, Glens of Antrim crisps from Cushendall, and Long Meadow Cider from Craigavon.

And it’s clear Musgrave NI has gone large on catering to the ‘big night in’ mission, thanks to its 875 sq ft alcohol zone dubbed the ‘Off Licence’. It boasts a vast range of wine, champagne, premium spirits, RTDs, lagers, ales, and kegs with draft machines.

The wine variety particularly stands out. It’s predominantly chilled, and supplemented with value deals in ambient displays. The red selection also boasts a wide choice, arranged by country of origin, and includes lines to which Musgrave has exclusive access, such as Nugan Estate, Aresti Wines and Rare Vineyards. And the store must be credited for its attention to detail with the tasting notes attached to various bottles, advising customers on food pairings to add a personal feel.

Across the rest of the store, shoppers can access a variety of dairy, ambient, household and frozen products, spanning branded and Centra own label, bringing the store’s total number of lines to 7,755 overall.

There is also a dedicated seasonal zone at the back of the store. Its current focus is on summer as it seeks to capitalise on the seaside location and caravaners, stocking beach balls, buckets and spades, tennis rackets, cool boxes and sunglasses. The zone will switch to Back to School, Halloween, and Christmas as the seasons change.

Crucial to the new format is Musgrave NI’s price messaging around the store as it seeks to play up its value credentials. These include ‘Epic Deals’ on four big‑brand products, its ‘Switch to Save’ labels showing shoppers they can save up to 40% by choosing own‑brand alternatives, and ‘Supermarket Price Match’ on key everyday items with Tesco. Musgrave NI, in fact, invested £2m more this year in its value offer.

And last, but not least, is the food to go zone, which has been carefully laid out. Located at the front of the store for quick access, shoppers in a rush can reach grab-and-go bays filled with sandwiches, baguettes, salad boxes and beverages. Two meal deal options are available for £5 or £6 – both spanning the Deli-Lites ranges of sandwiches and includes a soft drink and Tayto crisps. Musgrave’s Frank & Honest coffee station is also sited next to the bays, offering hot and iced drinks.

But food to go doesn’t end there. The store also has a deli counter, offering hot breakfast, baked potato, pizza by the slice, sausage rolls, jambons, and chicken fillet baguettes. And for those with a sweeter tooth, there are fresh bakery and hand-crafted patisserie items, such as creamy caramel choux bun, pistachio cream cannoli and banoffee pie tartlet.

Needless to say, shoppers are spoilt for choice.