If BWG Foods isn’t a name that rolls off the public’s tongue, its place at the heart of communities across Ireland would be hard to overstate. The Tallaght-based operation plays a key role in keeping independent retailers competitive in extraordinary times.
‘BWG Foods is a leading retail, foodservice and wholesale business and owns and operates the SPAR, EUROSPAR, MACE, LONDIS and XL brands in the Republic of Ireland, along with being a major player in the Gala brand,’ chief wholesale and logistics officer Michael Collins FCCA explains. ‘We’re working in partnership with independent retailers in over 1,000 stores serving local communities right across the country.’
‘The strength of our distribution network and our purchasing power is critical’
The overall business footprint extends further: there’s Value Centre, the country’s largest cash-and-carry division, as well as major wholesale and foodservice operations servicing hotels, hospitality and state contracts. The company’s confident, expansionary mode was reflected in its recent entry into the quick-service restaurant (QSR) sector through the acquisition of O’Brien’s Café, Abrakebabra, Bagel Factory and Oasis of Taste Food Hall in 2026. In short, if you’re grocery shopping or eating out in a village or town in Ireland, you’re almost certain to have a BWG Foods offering cross your path.
Managing the cost base
Collins’s role is ‘essentially running the logistics of the business’ – a bird’s-eye view where clarity of purpose is essential. ‘Our national distribution centre exists primarily to support our retail network and is managed for efficiency and cost control. By contrast, our wholesale businesses operate as standalone trading operations and are managed to generate revenue, margin and profit. What they have in common is that they are all low-margin businesses, where managing the cost base is a priority,’ he explains.
CV
2023
BWG Foods UC, chief wholesale and logistics officer
2018
CFO, ASL Airlines Ireland
2016
CFO and deputy CEO, LacPatrick Dairies
2001
Joins CityJet, rising to role of CFO and deputy CEO
The past few years have seen the pressure on cost ratchet up to a whole new level, making the battle for consumer loyalty a question of business survival for some, particularly smaller outlets in rural areas. Research last year from the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) suggests 100 local shops close annually across the country, with at least three shutting their doors every fortnight, while a Dáil Éireann debate in 2025 noted that grocery prices have increased by nearly 40% since 2021.
‘The pressure on manufacturing price increases is constant,’ Collins says. ‘We sit between the manufacturers and our customers, and the strength of our distribution network and our purchasing power is critical in those discussions.’
‘You can’t make decisions if you can’t rely on the data’
A certain level of quality control has a part to play in their ongoing success, he adds. ‘We are here to provide the goods, but we also provide an extensive wraparound service in terms of retail expertise, category expertise and business management support. “Have I got the right products, the right range, the right prices? Are my products in the right places?” These are the questions our customers ask. We have an excellent design team who advise on that.’
Data is the touchstone to much of this and Collins says frankly: ‘You can’t make decisions if you can’t rely on the data. We have daily updates that go right down to customer level and product level.’
Resilience and value
A cool head and a strong communication style would seem to play a part in keeping focus amid growing complexity. ‘Earlier on in my career, I probably thought my role was being the guy with the knowledge of numbers. The more senior I’ve become, the more I’ve realised that this only gives you the ability to have the discussions.
‘Our business has about 350 trucks on the road every day. Every customer has a window to get their delivery. That’s every day of the year, all seasons, all weather. So, you’ve got to be able to systemise to deliver that, but you also need to build resilience into your approach. Leadership for me is about resilience.’
‘For me the finance role has always been about understanding where value is being created’
Collins’s earlier career grounding was in aviation – ‘a fantastic industry to start out in, even though I had not flown more than once or twice when I began,’ he laughs. ‘Strangely enough, it wasn’t an industry with many finance professionals at the time, so my accountancy qualification was a huge bonus. It allowed me to progress more quickly because not everybody had those skills.’
No hard sell
Hailing from Newport, Co Tipperary, Collins and his wife today call Ballsbridge, Dublin, home. Hurling and golf are personal passions, while he is also a trained breath-work coach. ‘I do sessions for conscious breathing and run some groups for that,’ he explains.
BWG
1960
MACE founded in Ireland
1973
Brooks Watson Group (BWG) formed by merging independent SPAR wholesale companies
1984
BWG acquired by Irish Distillers
2015
SPAR South Africa acquires an 80% stake, rising to full ownership by 2021
2026
Acquires O’Briens Café, Abrakebabra and Bagel Factory
ACCA has a place in his home life, too, as one daughter, having toured successfully as a dancer with Lord of the Dance, is now studying for the qualification. No hard sell was required by Collins as his career has admirably demonstrated the flexibility and potency it offers.
‘The extraordinary thing about ACCA is the ability it gives you to move between entirely different industries,’ he reflects. ‘There may be no overlap in the business aside from the fact you are looking to create value in the supply chain.
‘The finance role, for me, has always been about understanding where value is being created, how to extract it, and how to distribute it. I’ve always appreciated how ACCA gives you the ability to answer those questions.’
