Page 88 - Crisis Communication Practical PR Strategies

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Calamities 69

different. However, there was a pre-opening function to
acknowledge all those who had been instrumental in bringing
the store back to life. These included the fire service personnel
and police who had responded on the night of the fire, and their
families. This gesture was extremely well received and generated
considerable goodwill and publicity.
Within a short time of the store re-opening it was trading at
the levels prior to the fire. This was primarily as a result of the
quick and decisive decisions made immediately after the fire
and the reputation for excellent customer service built-up in the
10 years it had been open prior to the fire. Superquinn
Blanchardstown is still operating very successfully 20 years later,
and it has been reported that its new owners are planning a
revamp, with no fire to prompt them.
Fire strikes again
On 26 September 1986, almost exactly one year following the
fire at its Blanchardstown store, Superquinn again had to face
the consequences of an accidental fire. This time it was on the
other side of Dublin, in Sutton. On this occasion the conse-
quences were even more serious, as Sutton was not only a flag-
ship store but the complex also incorporated the company’s
head office. It was known as the Support Office, which conveyed
to everyone there that their primary role was to support the retail
branches, which were its customers’ focus.
The circumstances this time were very different to the ones in
Blanchardstown. Superquinn was the only supermarket chain
based in this area. The fire was more severe and there was no
question but that the entire complex had to be replaced. This
could clearly not be completed in 10 weeks. With both the
Support Office and the shop area needing rebuilding, there
were opportunities to restructure the layout and to expand the
store’s footprint. This required new plans and, more crucially, it
needed planning permission from the local authority. The plan-
ning process in Ireland is staged and allows for local residents to
have an input and, more important, object to most new building
developments, if they desire.
By 1986 Superquinn had been in existence for more than 20
years and had built up a property portfolio outside of its retail
premises. The company’s policy had been to buy, not rent, its
premises and in many cases it also owned the centres in which
its stores were positioned. One of these centres was in