28 STORE PROFILE
The Nearby Store at Lambscross, Sandyford in Dublin is run by experienced retailer Mark Malone. His extensive bakery, busy deli and quality coffee offering have made this store a popular destination for locals and tradespeople alike. Fionnuala Carolan speaks to him about his career to date
Nearby Lambscross is situated in a great location with a lot of residential housing within walking distance
Bake it and they will come W
hen a retailer’s story begins with a long-standing career in Superquinn, you can be sure that there is probably something exceptional about their shop. Mark Malone learned his trade from 30 years in Superquinn and experience like this breeds high standards and sharp business acumen. Although he has been involved with various businesses since, he has learned that focusing all his efforts into one store is the secret to success. His Nearby store has benefited massively from shoppers staying local during the pandemic, as is the story for many retailers across the country. Concentrating on doing a few things really well has paid handsome dividends. The shop is in a great location with a lot of residential housing within walking distance. There has been a massive amount of construction in the vicinity over the past two years, some that had started before Covid and has kicked back in now. There are about 2,000 apartments being built right beside the shop and then another 1,100 apartments being built about five mins from the shop. The council is also widening the road close by from the wellknown Lamb Doyles pub down to Marley Park, which started last month and is predicted to take about two years and the store is already benefitting from the many construction workers in the area every day. “A lot of the builders are travelling from the north and they pull in at 6.30am and we’re the only place open so they’re queuing for the coffee,” says Malone. “There is a rush then and then they are back in at 9.30am/10am and again at 1pm.” This results in plenty of busy periods during the day. The shop is located beside a school and the community centre, a good butcher and a hairdresser with ample
ShelfLife November 2021 | www.shelflife.ie
STORE PROFILE
Retailer: Mark Malone address: Nearby Lambscross, Sandyford, Dublin 18 staff: 16 staff members opening hours: Monday – Sunday: 6.30am - 10.30pm
parking outside so the location is as good as it gets.
How it started Originally from Ballinteer in Dublin, Malone started working in Superquinn when he was just 15 years old. Like many back then he decided not to finish school and began working there full time from this early age and stayed with the company for 30 years. He trained in Superquinn Ballinteer and worked his way up to management in high profile shops like Blackrock. “I helped open up Superquinn Lucan as an assistant manager and then I was the manager of Bray, Sundrive, Finglas and Blanchardstown,” he explains. “Working with the likes of Feargal Quinn was fantastic,” he recalls. “When I reached management level, I got great exposure by being brought on trips to America to look at new ideas. He would bring over 6-8 people at a time and do a tour of supermarkets there and you’d come back and have to work on say five projects each and you’d have to present that to the other managers and try to implement these ideas in-store. I was involved in the opening of Sunday trading for the first time. There was a great buzz about the place – always something new happening. If you talk to any of the
Superquinn managers, they would all say the same about him. He was a one off,” he says.
Going it alone Managing a supermarket is no doubt a tough job but very different from owning your own business. So did Malone always have dreams of going out on his own? “Yes I think so,” he says, “but I was just waiting for the right opportunity. I took a shop in Bray with another group but that didn’t work out. I had two or three small shops after Superquinn but I just want to concentrate on the one now. Keep it simple. What is small is beautiful!” he laughs. “When I had a number of shops I was driving from shop to shop trying to keep on top of it all but when you strip it back it’s not worth it. I saw the results here straight away. It’s grown massively since I’ve taken it over
Retailer Mark Malone says his partnership with S&W works well, noting that the wholesaler has “good prices and very little out of stocks”
