Penneys officially opens newly extended €20 million store in Eyre Square, Galway

• The renovated store is 50% bigger in size and creates additional 180 new jobs for the local economy

Penneys has opened its newly revamped and extended store in the heart of Galway city, following a €20 million investment by the retailer. Located on Eyre Square, the renovated store is 50% larger with the addition of a new lower ground floor, bringing an even bigger and better Penneys experience to customers in Galway.

As part of the retailer’s commitment to invest €250 million in Ireland over the next 10 years, Primark has invested €20 million in refurbishing and enhancing the popular Galway store, with a focus on creating the great in-store experience the retailer is known and loved for. It will now offer 45,000 sq. ft of prime retail space across two floors, an increase of 50% from the original store size, and features a brand-new Nails @ Penneys beauty salon in-store.

To support the bigger store size and in advance of the busy Christmas season, Penneys has created 180 new jobs as part of the extension, 50 permanent and 130 temporary roles, providing a significant boost to the local economy in Galway. The store will now employ a total of 355 people. As part of Penneys’ focus on developing its own people and creating internal opportunities for growth, 14 new department managers have also been promoted internally from the existing store team.

Damien O’Neill, Head of Penneys Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “We are delighted to complete this major extension and renovation of our Eyre Square store, just in time for the busy Christmas season ahead. We are committed to providing the best in-store experience to our customers, so this refreshed store with a new lower ground floor space allows us to showcase an expanded product range, offering even more great-value fashion and essentials to people in Galway, including a new beauty salon. We are proud to continue to play our part in supporting Irish towns and communities and to investing in Irish retail.”

Mayor of Galway, Cllr. Clodagh Higgins has today welcomed Penney's expansion:“Penneys has expanded its premises and in doing so they have created 180 new jobs, which is a huge investment for Galway. It demonstrates the strength and continued growth of Penneys with this €20 million investment and it's a testament to their place in the Irish market. Furthermore, it highlights the attractiveness of Galway for investment from important home-grown international retailers.”

Customers to the newly expanded Penneys Eyre Square store will find the latest autumn winter affordable trends and everyday essentials across women’s, men’s, kids’, and homeware, as well as its popular beauty department. It will also offer a wide range of clothes and products under its growing Primark Cares label, as part of the retailer’s pledge to make more sustainable fashion affordable for everyone. Customers will also find Penneys’ extensive great value Christmas ranges in-store; from partywear for nights out with friends to matching festive jumpers and ‘FamJams’ for the whole family, customers will be sure to find their perfect Christmas buys, whatever their budget.

Penneys, which operates as Primark outside of Ireland, has 37 stores in the Republic of Ireland and over 400 stores in total across Europe and North America. The extended store in Galway is part of its commitment to invest over €250 million in Ireland over the next 10 years, which includes the redevelopment, relocation and/or refurbishment of its stores across the country. The investment also includes a new €75 million state-of-the-art warehousing and distribution facility in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, which is currently under construction.

Primark is accelerating its pace of international expansion in line with the retailer’s ambition to grow to some 530 stores by the end of 2026. Primark is set to open 27 new stores and an additional one million square foot of new selling space in this financial year, with eight new stores from now until Christmas, including openings in Queens and Brooklyn NYC in the USA, Katowice in Poland, Craigavon in Northern Ireland, and its first store in Romania in December.