Musgraves calls on rivals to open books

Supermarket and wholesale group Musgrave today called on other multiples to publish their figures on turnover and actual profits…

Supermarket and wholesale group Musgrave today called on other multiples to publish their figures on turnover and actual profits in Ireland.

Mr Séamus Scally, Musgrave Group's managing director said that this new policy of retailing Glasnostis essential for policy makers, food producers and farmers.

"Musgrave Group has been doing it for years. Others should come clean and publish their numbers. I am at a loss to know why they do not publish audited data?"

Mr Scally predicted that the future of retailing was a bright one for Irsih and British retailers and that with a competitive market and a level playing pitch the consumer and suppliers will benefit.

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But he warned that the proposed sale of Safeway would be bad for the Irish food industry as margins would be squeezed by the remaining big three British supermarket chains.

Mr Scally called on the British competition authority to honour its pledge of two years ago that there should not be further consolidation of the sector.

Musgraves recently completed the acquisition of British supermarket chain Budgens. Mr Scally forecast that it would be possible to double the number of Budgens stores over the next five years and increase sales to £1 billion sterling per annum.

Mr Scally was speaking at a conference hosted by retail magazine Checkout.