It's all go, Harvey, at Blanchardstown

Harvey Norman is stepping up its retail operation at Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15 by leasing a further 2,787sq m (30,000sq…

Harvey Norman is stepping up its retail operation at Blanchardstown Centre, Dublin 15 by leasing a further 2,787sq m (30,000sq ft) at Retail Park 3 to give it an overall trading area of 4,645sq m.

The company is likely to be paying an overall rent of about €1 million for the new outlet, one of its 13 stores in Ireland.

Harvey Norman’s chief executive for Ireland, Blaine Callard, said while their Irish operation was still losing money, sales between July and September rose by 10.7 per cent. He is optimistic about trading prospects in Blanchardstown: “The busiest shopping shopping centre in the country.” The company invested up to €900,000 on the new outlet.

Harvey Norman also plans to open a store in Galway when it finds a suitable site.

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Elsewhere in the Blanchardstown park, the DIY chain Woodies has taken over the Atlantic operation and is now trading out of an enlarged store of 5,806 sq m.

The broad appeal of the centre has also encouraged Halfords, the bicycle specialist, to open a 929 sq m store in Retail Park 1 early in the new year. The store will be next to DFS Furniture and will be rented at about €250,000 per annum.

With 37,160sq m of trading space, Blanchardstown Retail Park accounts for 20 per cent of the overall market in the Dublin area. The joint letting agents for the park are BNP Paribas Real Estate and Jones Lang LaSalle.