Penneys completes €10 million investment in revamp of flagship Mary Street store

• Biggest refurbishment in almost 10 years, Penneys Mary Street rolls out a host of new features including self-service checkouts in store

• Customers loving new preloved vintage clothing concession WornWell

• Renovation works form part of broader €250 million Irish investment plans

Penneys has completed a €10 million investment project on a full refurbishment of its first ever store on Mary Street, Dublin, as part of its commitment to invest in world class in-store retail experiences across Ireland.

Penneys’ flagship site in the capital city first opened over 50 years ago in 1969 and has undergone its biggest refurbishment in almost 10 years to bring a fresh new shopping experience to customers. The Mary Street store now features 46 new self-service checkouts, alongside traditional served tills, across both floors. Shoppers who are short on time or making smaller purchases by card, can now simply pay for their items at the self-service checkout, and scan their receipt to exit via an electronic gated system.

The major renovation project took three months to complete, with works taking place at night by a team of 70 contractors while the store was closed, allowing the busy 95,700 sq. ft flagship store to continue to serve customers during the day. The revamped store now features new flooring, signage, wall panelling throughout its three retail floors, and new energy efficient LED lighting helping to reduce energy consumption in the store by 30%.

Penneys Mary Street has also opened a bigger and better Nails beauty salon on the ground floor, and has introduced WornWell, a new vintage concession where customers are able to shop preloved branded and non-branded vintage clothing, allowing Penneys customers to express their individual style and create unique looks by mixing old and new fashion.

Damien O’Neill, Head of Penneys Ireland and Northern Ireland, said: “This has been a significant renovation project for our store teams, and we are delighted with the result, our flagship store in our home market looks fantastic and has been given a new lease of life. We’ve been getting great feedback so far from our customers who love the new look and feel of the store, and enhanced offering. We are continuing to invest in our Irish retail network and are looking forward to completing a refurbishment in our store in Artane, Co. Dublin next month, giving even more shoppers the opportunity to experience the best of fashion, beauty, and homeware at Penneys.”

The Mary Street store revamp also features an enhanced Disney offering for Adults and Kids, as well as an extended Home department. Since launching its first Disney range in 2011, the licensing partnership has gone from strength to strength and now covers an array of categories ranging from clothing to homeware. Similarly, with more people spending time at home due to hybrid working, Penneys has seen increased demand for its homeware products and has upweighted its homeware offering at Mary Street to meet this customer demand.

This €10 million investment by the retailer is part of Penneys’ overall commitment to invest €250 million in the development, relocation and refurbishment of its Irish stores and distribution facilities over a 10-year period. As well as the Mary Street revamp, Penneys has recently extended its store in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, and opened its newly relocated store in Dundrum Town Centre earlier this summer.

The news of the Mary Street store refurbishment comes shortly after Penneys announced that it is lowering the prices on hundreds of essential kids’ clothing products as part of its upcoming Autumn/ Winter collection. As Penneys’ largest store in Ireland, Mary Street has a whole floor dedicated to kidswear and baby items, so customers can choose from a wide range of wardrobe staples for their little ones, all at amazing prices.