Penneys has agreed a deal to anchor Bray Central, the new shopping centre developed by Paddy McKillen jnr and Matt Ryan’s Oakmount.
The new store, which is due to open for business later this year will be the fast-fashion retail giant’s first location in Co Wicklow and its 38th store in Ireland. Penneys’ Bray store will extend to 19,600 sq ft of retail space and offer the company’s full range of merchandise including menswear, womenswear, kidswear, beauty, lifestyle, and homeware.
Commenting on the decision to locate at Bray Central, Damien O’Neill, head of Penneys Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “Works will commence on the new store in the coming weeks, and we look forward to opening the doors and welcoming customers later in the year. We are proud to support and invest in Irish towns and communities and this announcement today reflects our ongoing commitment to Irish retail.”
Lisa Rocca, CEO of Oakmount said: “We are delighted to welcome Penneys as an anchor tenant to Bray Central. As one of Ireland’s best-loved stores, Penneys is a fantastic addition to Bray, Wicklow and the development”.
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Outside of its plans for Bray Central, Penneys is investing €14.8 million in the fitout of its new store at Dundrum Town Centre in south Dublin. the new store, which is also due to open later this year will be located on the upper floors of the former House of Fraser site will comprise 60,000 sq ft of retail space, making it 64 per cent bigger than the retailer’s current Dundrum premises.
Penneys, which operates as Primark outside of Ireland, currently has 37 stores in Ireland and 417 stores in total across Europe and the US. The new store in Bray is part of Primark’s aim to invest over €250 million in Ireland over the next 10 years, which includes the development, relocation and/or refurbishment of its stores across the country. The investment also includes a €75 million state-of-the-art warehousing and distribution facility in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, which is currently under construction.
Primark is also accelerating its pace of international expansion in line with its ambition to grow to some 530 stores by the end of 2026. The retailer is set to open 27 new stores and an additional one million square foot of new selling space in this financial year, including the upcoming new market of Slovakia
