Penneys has opened its new store in Bray, creating about 100 new jobs at its first location in Co Wicklow.
The shop at Bray Central shopping centre, which has seen a €4 million investment by the company, is its 38th in the Republic, Penneys said in a statement.
“We are delighted to finally open our doors in Bray today, welcoming customers and colleagues alike,” Fintan Costello, head of Penneys Ireland and Northern Ireland, said. “We have invested more than €4 million in Penneys Bray, demonstrating the confidence and commitment we have in our home market, and we are proud to continue to play our part in supporting Irish towns and communities.”
“Penney’s expansion into Bray with their 38th store, along with their broader investment plans for Ireland, highlights the crucial role that retail plays in fostering vibrant communities across the country,” Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Retail, Emer Higgins, said.
The opening came as the group changes how it makes and designs its clothes, as it bids to hit sustainability goals. The company has pledged all its clothes will be made by recycled or sustainable materials by 2030.
While the company does not own any of the factories they order products from, commercial director Olivia Kelly said it has “a team of 140 people on the ground who act as the eyes and ears” on the company’s ethically sourced products strategy.
About 55 per cent of Penney’s clothes, which trades as Primark globally, contained recycled or more sustainably sourced materials in 2023, while some 70 per cent of Primark stores are powered by renewable or low-carbon energy, according to the retailer’s most recent sustainability report.
- Sign up for Business push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our Inside Business podcast is published weekly – Find the latest episode here
