Sportswear giant Nike is set to open a new outlet in the former BT2 store at Dundrum Town Centre this summer.
The 5,666 sq ft store on Level 1 of the south Dublin shopping centre will be the first Nike location in Ireland to have the 'Nike Live' concept, offering a curated assortment of sport performance apparel, footwear, and accessories.
Conor Owens, managing director of asset management in Ireland and Scotland for Dundrum co-owner and manager Hammerson, said the Nike store would offer "an interactive, customised retail offering to customers hungry for quality sportswear.
"Athleisure is a top-performing category across our portfolio, so we’re excited to see how our customers respond to this innovative new concept.”
Brown Thomas, Donnybrook Fair, Watches of Switzerland and Lush have all opened new stores at Dundrum in the past 18 months, with Penneys set to reopen at a larger location in the shopping centre this year.
In Association with
Foot Locker
Elsewhere, Foot Locker is set to open its largest location in Ireland at the Ilac Centre in Dublin city centre, and the athleisure brand has committed to a new store-fit out and relocation at Swords Pavilions.
Foot Locker's 13,000 sq ft Ilac store will occupy a prime location at the main entrance to the shopping centre facing out onto Henry Street, and the company will relocate its stores at Swords Pavilions to a 4,800 sq ft unit in the ground floor.
Hammerson and Irish Life Investment Managers, the co-owners of Ilac, plans to "reinvigorate" the centre with household brands, new retail concepts and experiences. Hammerson said the Foot Locker would appeal to a new younger audience.
“Athleisure continues to be a top-performing category across our portfolio, and Foot Locker is a global leader in this space," Owens said.
"Its exclusive range of footwear, sports apparel and campaigns are hugely popular with consumers worldwide, so we know this is just the type of brand which will resonate particularly amongst our younger customers. Harnessing our placemaking and operational expertise, it will also further enhance The Ilac consumer experience and widen the range of top retail brands on offer.
"Foot Locker’s relocation and renewed commitment in Swords Pavilions also highlights both the growing national demand for this athleisure brand, as well as Hammerson’s unrivalled ability to connect top brands with strong consumer demand across our destinations.”
John Lowry, director of real estate at Foot Locker Europe, commented: “Ireland is very much a market we would like to improve our presence, subject to positioning ourselves in the right locations and at the right terms.
"We have spent recent years debating whether we would exit Ireland altogether given lack of store performance however after some deliberation and consolidation, we have chosen to re-invest in Ireland and support a market that we believe has much more to offer. We are delighted to support Irish jobs and the local economy in Ireland.”
Photo: Dundrum Town Centre.
