Against fierce competition, the Irish chain led by Margaret Heffernan reaffirmed its position as the supermarket leader over Christmas. We look at the success of a brand that went from bargain basement to top drawer
Top of the podium: Dunnes Stores boss Margaret Heffernan. Illustration: Michael Gleeson
It was one of the best-known slogans in Irish retail history. “Better value beats them all”. For Dunnes Stores, it was a mantra that ensured that price-conscious shoppers flocked through its doors.
But that was a different time, when the flamboyant yet plain-talking Ben Dunne was at the helm and in an era before the German invasion of Lidl and Aldi changed the Irish supermarket trade for good.