STORE PROFILE
Coaches travelling to concerts and events are big business for Mace Ballinalack so the store’s large Bewley’s hot drink concept to-go is a must-have
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Mace Ballinalack now stands at 10,000 square feet and includes a large off-licence section which is a strong performer in-store
“We got hit very badly due to Covid. The recommendation was to have no indoor seating so we had this facility but we were telling people not to come in here. We set up a seating area outside as well which takes about 40/50 people. There was a canopy over it. It’s part of the building now so I suppose Covid made us diversify,” he frankly admits.
roast meats and veg in the carvery section, which remains until dinner time. Then there is Supermacs for the evening trade. The seating area is very unique, resembling a food court but with very comfortable seating, television screens and space which is a commodity not many can boast about with every inch being accounted for in most stores.
Passing trade
Fuel choices
While most businesses will tell you how they rely solely on the local, regular customers to keep their businesses afloat, this store actually relies more on passing traffic due to its location but the return customer is nearly a guarantee once they experience the food-to-go offering and the extensive facilities. In recent years they decided to concentrate mainly on the food-to-go and convenience categories as opposed to stocking a large ambient range although they still offer all the leading ambient brands. There is an extensive lunch and dinner offering in the deli and there is a self-serve area for salads and hot food too. The deli offering changes throughout the day from a full breakfast offering in the morning to a varied lunch offer from 12.30, including
On the forecourt there are ten petrol and diesel pumps and six electric vehicle points. Egan explains that the electric vehicle points are constantly in use and an important part of the business. “We have six different EV points,” he says. “Every time you look out cars are there charging. The fast charge will do it in 15/20 mins and costs on average around €28/€30 for a full charge. It depends on the vehicle obviously. You have to have an electrical substation on-site to facilitate this as it uses a lot of power. It would take half an hour or 40 minutes for a full charge on the slow chargers but they are both constantly in use,” he states. In addition to this there is also a bunkering island where trucks pull in to fuel up.
There is an extensive breakfast, lunch and dinner offering in the For Food’s Sake deli alongside a self-serve area for salads and hot food
With regard to the volatile nature of the fuel game at the moment, Egan says that it is a very difficult situation managing the price of fuel on a daily basis. “You just don’t want to be losing on fuel,” he stresses. “You have to constantly watch the price and adjust it. Some people are loyal to a brand and will only buy Texaco fuel because they know it’s good quality but the ones that drive around looking for a cheaper price don’t gain anything by it. It’s only a couple of pence minimum. Energy is the real issue now and people will feel it this winter,” he predicts. “Due to the fact that the fuel business is so precarious, the shop is becoming more and more important and the services you have will bring people in. We have serious comfort with the shop now. There is such great space,” says Egan enthusiastically.
Crowds are back There is a lot more traffic on the road in recent months with events and concerts resuming. Egan says that coaches are big business for them and sometimes you could have two or three buses arriving at once. “Some of the coach companies will call up beforehand to let you know they are coming,” he says. “But you have to be ready for any amount of them in a given day. We would have a lot of army personal en route from training exercises. We could have 40/50 army staff in on the way up and the same on the way back and that could be three times a week,” he explains. Any large scale event happening in Dublin means a busy day for the store but Egan says that‘s the way they like it and with the new facilities, it never feels crowded even on the busiest of days. The business is definitely future-proofed with both indoor and outdoor seating options and well serviced for the onslaught of electric vehicles in the future. It seems like this Mace store has covered all bases and they are ready and willing to drive the business forward. ■ www.shelflife.ie | ShelfLife July 2022
