An €11 million investment promises to enhance the rural communities we serve

 Pictured at the Tirlán CountryLife branch in Dungarvan were Tirlán CEO, Jim Bergin; Chairman, John Murphy; Retail Marketing Manager, Grace O’Dwyer and Head of Retail at Tirlán, Senan Foley

Tirlán has begun an €11 million plus investment programme to develop and upgrade its entire 52-strong local branch network, with work in our Athboy, Castlelyons and Bunclody stores already underway.

The investment package is part of a range of measures to futureproof our agri, retail and garden centre services in rural communities across 11 counties.

The branch improvements are ‘Living Proof’ of Tirlán’s commitment to serving the evolving needs of loyal customers in rural communities we serve for many years to come, while the investment also promises to support local jobs and rural economies.

The €11 million plus plan will include a significant upgrading of branch IT infrastructure with new technologies that will make the overall customer experience more enjoyable and efficient.

Speaking recently at the CountryLife branch in Dungarvan, Tirlán Chairman John Murphy said: “Tirlán’s branches are the heartbeat of many local communities and this investment signifies our Co-op’s commitment to playing its part in enriching the lives of those living in rural Ireland. We are committed to developing a modern network of stores that service the evolving needs of farmers and the communities we serve.”

All branches will be developed and upgraded over the next few years, with the addition of new Tirlán CountryLife garden centres at our existing branches in both Athboy Co. Meath and Bennettsbridge in Co Kilkenny.

The first new concept store revamp in Bunclody will be completed in early 2023. Senan Foley, Head of Retail at Tirlán said: “Our 52-strong branch network is the face of Tirlán in our communities. They are more than just an agri store. Today, our branch network provides critical services in a setting that many of our shareholders, suppliers and customers have a strong affiliation with locally. Over a year ago, we partnered with An Post subsidiary PostPoint to bring a range of convenient services to rural communities.

Today’s announcement is part of a wider investment programme that will not only further enhance our offering to customers, but also expand our role in the community.”

Phase one of the investment programme sees stores in Ashford, Monasterevin, Castlelyons, Athboy and Bennettsbridge undergo significant renovations, followed by phase two branches in Dungarvan, Kilmeaden and Tullamore.

Tirlán’s new branding will be rolled out across the reinvigorated network. This rebrand, which is already underway, will see agri stores rebranded to ‘Tirlán FarmLife’, and agri stores with garden centres rebranded to ‘Tirlán CountryLife’.

Further investment is being rolled out in areas such as people training and the development of Farm Hardware Centres of Excellence, along with enhancement of our TirlanFarmLife.com ecommerce customer offering, supported by the creation of a dedicated distribution warehouse in Portlaoise.