Superquinn is to trade alongside Dunnes Stores in The Pavilion Shopping Centre, which is to open at Swords in north Dublin in October, 2000. Superquinn has acquired a 40,000 sq ft supermarket, half the size of the unit being developed for Dunnes. Superquinn has been trading from an adjoining site for over two decades and obviously had to move into the new centre to protect its market share.

Now that terms have been agreed, the company is now to seek planning permission to demolish its existing store and replace it with about 78,000 sq ft of offices, 20,000 sq ft of retail space and 361 spaces in an underground car-park.

Developers Flynn and O'Flaherty are well advanced on the Pavilion complex, which will have 250,000 sq ft of retail space and between 40 and 50 shops units. The second phase of the scheme on the 23-acre site is likely to include a hotel and other commercial buildings.