Amber and Costcutter have signed a five-year partnership that will ensure a secure trading environment for over 20 of their retailers across Munster and their customers.
The official partnership will also see the duo expand its offering to customers in many of its stores, with upgrading and refurbishment plans for stores in Fermoy, Watergrasshill and Youghal on the cards.
Amber, established by the Fitzgerald family in Fermoy in 1980, and Costcutter, owned by Barry Group, enjoy a relationship based on many shared values. The complementary brands have more than ten years’ involvement in the provision of advice and guidance for their franchise partners.
Chairman of Amber, Liam Fitzgerald said he is very excited about their plans for the next 12 to 18 months and is looking forward to working with Costcutter into the future. “There has always been a great working relationship between Amber and Barry Group. We share the same work ethic which has formed the cornerstone of both family-owned, family-run businesses.
“Over the years, we have used these personal relationships to support our retailers with expert advice and support, no matter what the issue is.” The two companies said that commitment to customer service is at the core of their relationship, while both placing strong importance on how their teams function, believing that a happy team means a happy customer.
PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES
Managing Director of Barry Group, Jim Barry, welcomed the new five-year partnership. “Costcutter – under the umbrella of Barry Group – and Amber, have enjoyed an extremely fruitful relationship and look forward to continuing and expanding this relationship. We aim to continue to work closely together to further develop customer led concepts in store and to continue to offer the very best service to our customer and retailers.”
Both companies said they share a passion for pushing the boundaries when it comes to design, service and planning, and this has pushed standards across the board instore. In addition to the investment made by the companies, the dedication of their staff has been recognised through numerous awards, including the current Costcutter Forecourt of the Year, Amber Costcutter Charleville.
Many of the forecourts and stores are situated in prime locations and provide state-of-the-art facilities, such as delis, instore bakeries, seated restaurants, an exclusive selection of wines, car wash facilities, free Wi-Fi and ample parking. Many of the sites are also open 24 hours, such as Fermoy, Charleville and O’Brien’s of Bishopstown.
Mr Fitzgerald added: “Consumer buying habits have changed over the years. People are time poor and tech savvy but they’re still drawn to high quality, value products. We’re especially excited about our plans for the next 12 to 18 months. The competition amongst retailers is fierce, however, it’s not just about a race to the bottom. We want to provide all of our customers with a quality product at the best price every time they visit an Amber forecourt or Costcutter store. That is a vision we are happy to continue investing in together.”
