MACE

What MACE does

MACE is a convenience retail franchise brand operating 80+ independently owned stores across Northern Ireland, founded in 1960 and wholly owned by Musgrave Group, Ireland's leading food retail, wholesale and foodservice company. The brand sells groceries, fresh produce, baked goods, dairy, frozen foods, snacks, drinks, hot food, coffee, and everyday essentials through a B2C model combining franchisee ownership with Musgrave-supplied supply chain, marketing, and operational support. Core product offerings are anchored by three proprietary sub-brands: Munch & Co (in-store deli counter with fresh food-to-go), Frank & Honest (Rainforest Alliance Certified barista coffee with compostable packaging, named Northern Ireland's favourite convenience store coffee), and Good Food Locally Sourced (own-label range of ~150 products sourced from 250+ local suppliers, backed by a £14 million investment launched in May 2024).

Revenue is generated through retail sales at independently owned franchise stores supplemented by some company-operated locations (e.g., Belfast RVH, University Road), with franchise economics (license fees, supply chain margin, marketing contributions) flowing back to Musgrave Northern Ireland. Pricing is unit-based with periodic promotional campaigns (Big Brand Sale, Savvy Savers) and average convenience-store pricing (Frank & Honest coffee £2.70-£2.90). The franchise distribution model and exclusive food concepts (Munch & Co, Frank & Honest) serve as differentiators versus larger supermarkets, supported by Musgrave's group-wide buying power and £240m annual local food and drink spend.

The company is headquartered at Belfast Harbour Estate under the legal entity Musgrave SuperValu Centra NI Ltd, with operations concentrated across Northern Ireland's six counties (Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone) and a network continuing to grow. Strategic positioning emphasizes local sourcing, community connection, and franchisee entrepreneurship, with a 9-year charity partnership with Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke that has raised £418,000. There is no public listing; MACE is a private operating brand within the privately held Musgrave Group.

Name

MACE

Legal name

Musgrave SuperValu Centra NI Ltd

Website

https://maceni.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MACE is a convenience retail franchise chain operating 80+ independently owned stores across Northern Ireland under Musgrave Group. Founded in 1960, it serves everyday grocery, fresh food, deli (Munch & Co), coffee (Frank & Honest), and ~150 locally sourced own-label products to Northern Ireland consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Sales (Franchise & Company-Owned Stores): MACE generates revenue through the sale of groceries, fresh food, convenience items, hot food, and beverages across its store network in Northern Ireland. Stores are independently owned (franchise model) with some company-owned locations. Revenue flows from end consumers (B2C retail). MACE retailers benefit from Musgrave Group's buying power and supply chain, with margins supported by exclusive sub-brands and food concepts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MACE is a convenience retail franchise brand operating more than 80 stores across Northern Ireland under Musgrave Group, selling groceries, fresh produce, baked goods, dairy, frozen foods, snacks, drinks, fresh deli food-to-go via the Munch & Co counter, and barista-quality coffee under the Frank & Honest brand. MACE also sells an own-label Good Food Locally Sourced product range of about 150 locally sourced items. Stores are mostly independently owned by local retailers who run them under franchise agreements with Musgrave Northern Ireland, with a smaller portion operated directly by Musgrave.

Product overview

MACE is a convenience retail franchise chain operating over 80 independently owned stores across Northern Ireland, launched in 1960 and owned by Musgrave Group. The core offering centers on the MACE Convenience Store brand, which combines groceries, fresh food, and everyday essentials with a focus on local sourcing and community connection. The product portfolio includes three key sub-brands: Munch & Co (in-store deli counter offering fresh food-to-go), Frank & Honest Coffee (Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee with compostable packaging), and Good Food Locally Sourced (an own-label range of ~150 locally-sourced products including meat, poultry, and ready meals). Stores also participate in promotional campaigns and the Espresso We Care charitable initiative. The franchise model provides independent retailers with supply chain, branding, and business support through Musgrave Group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Frank and Honest: Coffee brand with barista quality coffee made specifically with Irish tastes in mind. Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee served in fully compostable takeaway cups.
• Munch & Co
• Good Food Locally Sourced

Products and services

• MACE Convenience Stores Family of over 80 independently owned convenience stores across Northern Ireland selling groceries, fresh food, snacks, beverages, hot meals, coffee and everyday essentials, operated under franchise with Musgrave Group buying power and supply chain.
• Munch & Co Deli In-store fresh deli counter sub-brand offering healthy and hearty food-to-go for breakfast, lunch and dinner, including sandwiches, subs, fresh salads, hot meals and build-your-own options prepared in-store daily.
• Frank & Honest Coffee Barista-quality coffee brand developed specifically for Irish tastes, featuring Rainforest Alliance Certified beans served in fully compostable cups, available at MACE, SuperValu and Centra stores in Northern Ireland.
• Good Food Locally Sourced Own-label product range of about 150 locally sourced items including meat, poultry, ready meals (lasagne, pies, bakes) and global cuisine (honey chilli chicken, chicken tikka masala), available at Mace, SuperValu and Centra stores.
• MACE Offers & Promotions Weekly in-store promotional offers, multi-buy deals, and loyalty-style savings including the Big Brand Sale and Savvy Savers rotation, covering branded and own-label grocery, snack, drink and household items.

Quantifiable outcome

• Good Food Locally Sourced range available to 200+ stores from launch (May 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• McAtamney's Gourmet Kitchen (Portglenone)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcAtamney's Gourmet Kitchen is a local supplier partner in the Good Food Locally Sourced range. All products in this range are prepared by a team of chefs in Portglenone. The kitchen strives to produce high quality convenient meals sourcing local ingredients — e.g., the Good Food Locally Sourced Lasagne uses mince from their boning hall in Garvagh, boned from their own Northern Irish beef.
• Doherty & Gray (Ballymena)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDoherty & Gray is a local supplier partner for the Good Food Locally Sourced range. The company runs small batches to ensure quality is maintained from start to finish, using only the best select cuts in products. All beef in the range is sourced from Northern Irish farmers.
• Northern Ireland Chest Heart & Stroke (NICHS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMACE's long-term corporate charity partner since 2016. Over nine years, MACE stores and Musgrave MarketPlace branches raised £418,000 for NICHS. Activities include Espresso We Care coffee campaign (50p donated per Frank & Honest coffee), static cycles, blood pressure awareness campaigns, Red Dress Fun Run, raffles, and bucket collections. MACE Lurgan became the first MACE store to reach the £20,000 fundraising milestone.
• Belfast City CouncilcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBelfast City Council selected Frank & Honest Coffee (a MACE/Musgrave brand) as the new sponsor of the Belfast Bikes scheme. The scheme has 500 bikes at over 59 docking stations across Belfast. The sponsorship aligns shared values of sustainability, convenience, and supporting the local community. The scheme was launched in 2015.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Co-op Food: Co-op Food operates a national convenience store network across the UK, many in small-town and village locations similar to MACE's footprint. Comparable convenience offering with broader marketing scale.
• Sainsbury's Local: Sainsbury's Local is the convenience store format of Sainsbury's, with locations across the UK including Northern Ireland. Competes for convenience shoppers with broader assortments and loyalty pricing.
• Tesco Express: Tesco Express is the convenience retail format of Tesco plc, operating smaller-format stores focused on top-up shopping across the UK including Northern Ireland. Direct competition for convenience grocery share with greater pricing scale.

Direct peers

• Spar (Spar Northern Ireland / Henderson Group): Spar is the largest direct competitor to MACE in Northern Ireland, operated by the Henderson Group, with a similar franchise/symbol convenience model and overlapping towns. Closest competitor for franchisee recruitment and shopper spend.
• Day-Today: Day-Today is a direct local competitor to MACE in Northern Ireland, with several independent stores (e.g., Dolan's Mace Kildress) previously trading as Day-Today before converting to MACE. Closest historical-brand peer in the NI convenience market.
• Centra: Centra is a sister convenience retail brand within the Musgrave Group operating across Ireland and Northern Ireland, using the same franchise model and supply chain as MACE. Direct brand-portfolio peer with overlapping store footprint and shared sub-brand resources.
• SuperValu (Northern Ireland): SuperValu is the Musgrave Group's supermarket brand in Ireland/Northern Ireland, often co-located or in the same geographies as MACE. Direct peer through shared supply chain, store development and franchise network support.
• Premier (Booker / Premier Foods): Premier is a UK convenience store symbol group operated by Booker, providing franchise/symbol support similar to MACE's model. Direct franchise-model peer for store owners and shopper positioning.
• Nisa (now part of Booker): Nisa is a UK convenience store buying group/symbol serving independent retailers, with strong presence in Northern Ireland. Comparable franchise/symbol model serving similar independent retailers and shopper segments.

Regional players

• Dunnes Stores: Dunnes Stores is a major Irish/Northern Irish grocery and convenience retailer, particularly strong in fresh food. Regional competitor with overlapping food-to-go, deli and fresh produce offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mace_ni_
• Facebookfacebook.com/MACENorthernIreland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maceni

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MACE