Supermarket retailer Safeway has appointed Life Communications to
handle local media relations for its 12 stores in Northern Ireland.
The Belfast agency was appointed after a five-way pitch on a one-year
contract.
Life managing director Darlene McCormick will lead the account,
reporting to Safeway corporate communications controller Emma Mason.
Last month the supermarket announced a 31 per cent year on year fall in
pre-tax profit to pounds 236 million. After abandoning its ABC loyalty
card, the retailer’s new strategy is based on weekly, local promotions
across all its UK stores.
Mason said that Life’s key job would be to build the Safeway brand in
Northern Ireland. Safeway moved into the province three years ago,
acquiring outlets from the Wellworth retail chain. Now Safeway has the
second-largest market share in Northern Ireland, after Tesco.
Mason added that the province’s retail market, while different to
England, is similar to Scotland. ’Local and regional PR is incredibly
important,’ Mason said. ’The market is very value-led. Life are quite
sales-led.’
Before founding Life three years ago, McCormick worked for
Fleishman-Hillard as part of a team handling retail chain Super Value’s
takeover of other Wellworth stores.
