Penneys is set to open its first store in Co Wicklow and its 38th store in Ireland when it opens a new outlet at the recently opened Bray Central shopping centre later this year.
Penneys Bray will cover 19,600 sq ft of retail space at Main Street shopping centre, and the company said the new outlet would "create a significant number of new jobs for the area".
“We are delighted to confirm the opening of our new store in Bray; we know our customers in Wicklow have been waiting for a Penneys for a long time and we are excited to finally bring our unique offering to the area," said Damien O'Neill, head of Penneys Ireland and Northern Ireland.
"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.”
Bray Central has been developed by Oakmount, the development company of Paddy McKillen Jr, founder of the Press Up group, which operates a number of hospitality venues across Dublin.
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Oakmount is also involved with the redevelopment of Clery's on O'Connell Street, and its portfolio includes The Dean Hotel on Harcount Street, The Stella Cinema in Rathmines and residential, mixed-use, retail and office buildings and hotels in Dublin, Athlone Galway and Cork.
It was first reported that Penneys would take a unit at Bray Central in June 2021. Other occupants include Stella Cinemas, Wowburger and Elephant & Castle, which are all run by Press Up.
“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," said Lisa Rocca, CEO of Oakmount.
Penneys also confirmed that its expanded outlet in Dundrum at the former site of House of Fraser will open later this year following investment of €14.8m. The 60,000 sq ft store is 64% bigger than the previous Dundrum Penneys.
The company has committed to investing over €250m in Ireland over the next decade, with plans for development of new stores, and relocation and refurbishment for current stores as well as the launch of €75m warehousing and distribution facility in Newbridge, which is currently under constructions.
The retailer is set to open 27 new stores and an additional one million square foot of new selling space in this financial year, which will see its launch in Slovakia.
