Primark has big plans for Ireland, makes flagship return to Country Carlow site

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Dec 2, 2021

Primark has big plans for its Republic of Ireland operation, earmarking €250 million (£212.7 million) of capital investment there over the next 10 years. 

The announcement by chief executive Paul Marchant did not come with the detailed plans but it coincides with the clothing and lifestyle value retailer’s move back into its first ever store in Southern Ireland after a refurbishment of  the 27,400 sq ft unit on Kennedy Avenue, County Carlow.

The return to the space comes after plans for a wider mixed-use scheme on the site failed to materialise.

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Primark, which trades as Penneys in Ireland, had previously operated from the site for nearly two decades, but moved to a temporary location in Carlow Shopping Centre to allow work across a 6.5-acre site to get under way for the new scheme that would have featured 200,000 sq ft of retail space, 640 car spaces and 10,000 sq ft of offices.

An industry source told Property Week that the difficulties of developing mixed-use schemes in regional Irish towns resulted in the plans falling through. 

However, Marchant told the publication: “We hugely value our incredibly loyal Irish customers who have supported us over the years. The site of our very first store… is now home to our global headquarters.”