Tag: New Store

Retailer FAO Schwarz open on Henry Street

Iconic toy retailer opens on Henry Street

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Iconic American toy retailer, FAO Schwarz has officially opened in Arnotts on Henry Street, just in time for Christmas!

The retailer became famous when it featured in the 1988 Tom Hanks movie, BIG and is well-known worldwide for its iconic floor piano. The Arnotts store is one of two locations in Europe and is only the fourth worldwide after New York, Beijing and Arnott’s sister store at Selfridges in London, which was only opened last week. Its former flagship New York store on Fifth Avenue was the third most visited location by tourists prior to closing in 2015 due to high rents.

Arnotts have said customers visiting FAO Schwarz “will experience the same magic and wonderment as the plethora of tourists who visit the New York flagship every day”. Bosses say the store will bring its “trademark plush stuffed animals, captivating in-store performances and of course, the infamous walk-on piano”.

The store’s arrival is part of a strategy by Arnotts to create a family ‘destination’ in the city centre. It will be joined by another well-known US brand, Pottery Barn who is bringing its nursery range to Ireland for the first time. Arnotts new child-focused area will cover 17,000 sq ft in total.

The store will also include a replica of the FAO clock tower, giant stuffed animals and a toy train complete with toy soldiers. Other must visits include Build Your Own Race Car station, a Baby Doll Adoption Centre and am ‘FAO Schweetz’ shop.

The 6,000 sq ft shop is set to employ up to 50 people.

doughnut

Doughnuts cause traffic jams in Blanchardstown centre

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Shoppers keen to be among the first to experience US retail chain Krispy Kreme’s doughnut drive- thru experienced traffic gridlock and long delays at the weekend.

Traffic jams around the Blanchardstown Centre on Sunday were said to be “like Christmas” and were said to be caused by queues for Krispy Kreme’s doughnut drive-thru, a key feature of their first Irish retail outlet, which opened in the shopping centre last week.

AA Roadwatch reported traffic was heavy at the N3 exit from the M50, but was severely congested on the Snugborough Road and the N3 approach to the Blanchardstown Centre, as well as other roads in the centre vicinity.

AA Roadwatch’s Arwen Foley said “it was exceptionally busy around 4pm on Sunday. It seemed to come out of the blue.” Ms Foley said the AA could not say definitively what caused the jam but it appeared to be based around the shopping centre.

‘Like Christmas’

Swords-based chauffeur Ross McNally speaking to Dublin Live said he was sitting in traffic near the centre for 40 minutes on Sunday afternoon. “It was madness. It was like Christmas,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Krispy Kreme said the chain was very excited by the reception the new business had received and “more than 300 eager doughnut fans” had queued for the store opening at 7am on Wednesday last.

Pat Fitzgerald, Blanchardstown Centre operations manager, said the traffic was generated by interest in the new retail store. He said the level of interest was a “fantastic response” for the new outlet.

New food-hall and restaurant planned in Dundrum Town Centre revamp

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Dundrum Town Centre have been granted permission for a new food hall, restaurant and outdoor space. The shopping centre’s latest development will also be the location for fine food company Fallon and Byrne’s latest retail outlet.

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council have granted permission for Dundrum Retail Partnership to develop a disused space, known as Pembroke Square, behind the centre’s theatre including a new Fallon & Byrne foodhall and restaurant.

Five vacant two-storey buildings on Ashgrove Terrace, located on Dundrum’s main street, will be refurbished as part of the development, which was approved after a local resident’s appeal to An Bord Pleanála was ruled invalid. A new two-storey building will be built at the rear of the existing vacant structures, connecting Ashgrove Terrace to the shopping centre’s Pembroke Square. This will create a 1,000 sq m restaurant and food hall, with entrances on the main street and the new square, as well as an outdoor seating area and a first-floor terrace.

The new Fallon & Byrne outlet will “reinvigorate a currently underutilised part of the centre” according to property giant Hammerson, the co-owner of Dundrum Town Centre, previously said that

The fine food company already operates a restaurant and retail space on Dublin’s Exchequer Street, as well as outlets in Dún Laoghaire and Rathmines. There are also plans to develop a smaller café or restaurant, a basement-level leisure or entertainment facility and a multipurpose outdoor space alongside the new retail space and restaurant. In the planning permission, it is suggested that the square could be used for events such as food and craft markets, exhibitions, an outdoor cinema, food and beverage stalls or retail concessions.

The plans were initially delayed due to the objections of a local resident but these were ruled invalid by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council.

International retailer The White Company open in Dublin

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

International retailer, The White Company, opened last week on Dublin’s Grafton Street.

The interiors and lifestyle brand began life as a 12-page mail-order brochure and has steadily become one of the UK’s fastest-growing multi-channel retailers. This will be the brand’s first Irish store. The global retail brand, which currently has a turnover in excess of £180m (€154m), said the decision to open on Grafton Street, Dublin, was based on very encouraging online sales here. They have leased 800sqm (8,527 sq ft) over three floors on a long-term lease.

The store will stock the brand’s full lifestyle offering across women’s lounge and sleepwear, products for the home and dining, bed and bath, fragrances, skincare as well as ‘The Little White Company’ clothing for children and nursery essentials.

The brand’s founder, Chrissie Rucker started The White Company in 1994 when she was unable to find well-designed, quality bed linen in her favourite colour, so decided to invest her £6,000 (€5,150) savings into producing everything in one colour – white.

Last year The White Company opened its first international flagship store in New York, followed by a second store in New Jersey. The Dublin store is their first European flagship outside the UK, where they have 57 stores. The White Company has a discount store at the Kildare Village Outlet Mall.

Ms Rucker, who left school at 16, has a passion for all things white and says “we are obsessive about the details, and believe beautiful things should be loved and used every day”.

The new Dublin home is located besides Boodles jewellers, close to the South Anne Street junction. The building was formerly home to the Karen Millen fashion label. It was a cinema from 1911 until the 1970s. It was acquired by Irish property investment group Iput PLC in 2014 for €12.5m and has been restored to highlighting the white curved-vaulted ceiling.

Opening date for Krispy’s Kreme first Irish store announced

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

After months of anticipation, the opening date for Ireland’s first Krispy Kreme has been announced.

The US doughnut giant is opening in the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre after receiving planning permission from Fingal County Council yesterday. The news comes nearly two years after the possibility of an Irish Krispy Kreme hit the news.The planning permission granted to the retailer allows for a large ‘factory store’, a retail and production unit in the shopping centre, including a drive-thru. All going to plan, customers can expect an October opening date for the store. All 16 varieties of Krispy Kreme’s doughnuts will be available in share boxes or individually. The drive-through option will be available seven days per week. Kreme shakes, tea, coffee and other refreshments will also be available in-store and to take away.

According to the Irish Sun, Ireland Country Director Alex Drysdale said: “It is with great excitement that we today announce that the OG of doughnuts, Krispy Kreme Original Glazed, is coming to Ireland this October along with many other delicious flavours for Irish customers to enjoy.” He said “Our Blanchardstown build is underway and we will soon be announcing recruitment details for our Irish operation. We look forward to welcoming all our Irish fans, and those yet to have their first Krispy Kreme experience, through our doors and our drive-thru this October.”

Founded in 1937 by Vernon Rudolph in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Krispy Kreme is a listed company with more than 1,300 stores in 31 countries

Krispy Kreme gets go-ahead to open in Blanchardstown…with 24/7 drive thru!

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

After months of excitement, it’s been confirmed that US doughnut giant Krispy Kreme will soon be arriving in Blanchardstown Centre after Fingal County Council approved its planning application yesterday.The new store will also consist of a drive-thru which will be open 24 hours a day.

The retailer confirmed plans to brings its operations to Ireland in September 2016 to much excitement. According to the planning application “Krispy Kreme will include a food production area for the proposed cafe/restaurant use, which will also provide for distribution of produce to other outlets, and a drive-through facility. ‘The proposed development includes alterations to the elevations, alterations to the layout of the adjacent surface car parking area primarily associated with the drive-through facility, alterations to the existing service yard, signage for each unit, and associated ancillary works.

Krispy Kreme was founded in 1937, and it opened its 1000th international outlet in Peru last year. In total, there are over 1,300 shops in 31 countries, and after 81 whole years in business, the retailer will make Ireland it 32nd country.

An official opening date for Ireland’s first Krispy Kreme is yet to be announced.

retail news

Amazon open till-free grocery store to public for the first time

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

Amazon yesterday opened their first checkout free grocery store to the public. The store, named Amazon Go and located in Seattle, USA comes after four years of testing and legwork by the Internet retail giant.

So how does it work?

The store has a companion app that customers scan at the entrance in order to get in, and then uses a wide range of sensors, cameras and machine learning to detect when items are picked up from shelves. To start shopping, customers must scan an Amazon Go smartphone app and pass through a gated turnstile. If someone passes back through the gates with an item, his or her associated account is charged. If a shopper puts an item back on the shelf, Amazon removes it from his or her virtual cart.

The technology is able to rectify an indecisive shoppers’ bill when items are put back on shelves but some human staff will also be on hand to ensure everything runs smoothly, as well as carrying out necessary tasks such as confirming age when a customer wants to buy alcohol

The future of retail?

The convenience-style shop opened to Amazon employees back in December 2016 in a test phase. At the time, the company said it expected members of the public could begin using the store in early 2017. The store had many teething issues during its initial testing phase including correctly identifying shoppers with similar body types and when children were brought into the shop during the trial, they caused havoc by moving items.

The store marks Amazon’s second foray into the world of grocery retail after buying the high-end supermarket chain Whole Foods Market last year for $13.7bn (£9.9bn). As yet Amazon has not announced any plans to open further Go stores or apply the system to existing, larger, more complex Wholefood Stores.

Discount retailer Dealz to add fashion outlets to 30 Irish stores

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Popular discount chain Dealz has announced its plans to open 30 fashion outlets.

The retailer will roll out it’s sister brand ‘Pep & Co’ in 30 of its existing Irish stores next month. The Pep & Co stores within a store will create 120 jobs while also bringing the retailer, popular for their food and household items, to a new customer base. The first ten outlets will be launched on February 23rd and located within the brand’s flagship store in Blanchardstown, along with stores in Dundrum, Kilkenny, Naas, Newbridge and Castlebar.

A further 20 stores will open nearer to this summer, at locations including Killarney, Galway, Letterkenny and Cork. Pep&Co stores are expected to take up “20 to 25 percent” of the floor space of the Dealz outlets within which they are co-located. Much of the retail space required to accommodate the new discount clothing stores will be “liberated” by knocking through walls into storerooms, according to the company. There are no plans to open stand-alone Pep&Co stores here

Pep&Co will stock a full range of men’s, women’s and children’s discount clothing and prices will begin at €1.50 with an offering that includes jeans for €6.50 and €3.50 T-shirts. In addition to the cut-price jeans and T-shirts, it will also stock, men’s sweaters for €7.50, while some items in its range for young children are priced at between €1 and €2 among others.

Dealz operates in the UK as Poundland and the announcement comes in conjunction with plans to expand the Pep &Co across Ireland, the UK and France. More than 150 Pep&Co stores will open in the next 12 months in these locations.

Aldi open their 129th Irish store in Co Clare, creating 15 new jobs

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

Aldi open 129th Irish store in Co Clare, creating 15 new jobs.

Supermarket chain Aldi have opened their 129th Irish store in Co. Clare creating 15 new jobs. The latest branch of the German retailer, is based in Ennistymon, Co Clare.

Aldi opened their first Irish store 18 years ago with the first store opening in November 1999.

Speaking at the official opening on Friday, Declan Coyne Manager of the new Ennistymon store, said: “We are delighted to open our new Ennistymon store and look forward to welcoming many new customers from the local area.

“Aldi has grown in popularity across Ireland in recent years and we are pleased to make the quality, value and variety of our product ranges available to more people throughout Co. Clare.”

Aldi used the new store launch to highlight their commitment to Irish suppliers. In the last five years Aldi has recruited over 70 new Irish suppliers, meaning Aldi now partners with more than 175 Irish producers.

Over 50% of Aldi’s supplier spend is now with Irish suppliers, producers and manufacturers.

All of the retailer’s fresh meats, fresh poultry, eggs, bread, flour, and many of its teas, coffees, soft drinks, waters and snacks are provided by leading Irish suppliers.

New chapter for Eason with plans for new Clarehall store

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Eason, the iconic Irish book retailer, has announced plans to expand with the opening of a new store in Clare Hall shopping centre.

The new store in the North Dublin shopping centre is expected to open in March. Just before Christmas, Eason opened a store in Limerick’s Cresent Centre. Combined, the Limerick and Dublin stores will create a total of 30 jobs, according to the company.

The recession was particularly painful for Eason, seeing the company go through a five year restructuring plan. The market for book retailers has been particularly turbulent in recent years but despite this, Eason has begun expansion in recent years.The new stores, along with two stores acquired and re branded last year, mean the brand now have 65 stores across Ireland, including about 10 in Northern Ireland.

The Clare Hall outlet will consist of around 4,000sq ft (371sq m) of retail space. As well as selling the Eason staples of books, magazines and stationery, it will also feature several of the new retail concepts Eason has developed in recent years.Clare Hall will include its Easonology department, which sells puzzles and brain games; Department 51 aimed at young adults and teenagers; and a gifts department.

The company said it had spent about €12 million upgrading and expanding its estate in recent years, including a major revamp of its O’Connell Street flagship in Dublin and its outlet in Newbridge, Co Kildare. Two years ago it also bought two Porters stores in Cork. The group, led by chief executive Conor Whelan, said it would continue its capital investment programme in 2017.

Eason is owned by about 230 shareholders in a public company structure, although its shares are not traded on an exchange.The company managed to get back into the black last year with a €1.2 million after-tax profit for the year to the end of last January, compared with a €2.7 million loss the previous year. Its sales rose by 9 per cent to €147.2 million.

It now employs about 1,000 staff across its stores.