BUDGET CHAIN DEALZ will open another 10 new stores over the next year and offer 300 more jobs as it keeps up an aggressive expansion of its Irish operations.
The UK-owned, single-price retailer will open a flagship Dublin city centre store early next month as part of its three-year push into the country.
It has opened 35 stores since the first started trading in late 2011 and the latest growth drive will also include several outlets being launched over a four-week period including in Wexford, Dundalk and the second Dealz outlet in Cork
The company said it had hired 1,000 workers in Ireland so far and invested over €53.6 million in the local economy with another €4.5 million to come over the next 12 months.
Its latest jobs announcement is on top of a string of extra positions the company announced in late 2012 as part of plans to open 10 new Irish stores that year.
Fully dedicated to Ireland
Dealz chief executive Jim McCarthy said the company was “fully dedicated” to the Irish market and its expansion plans would keep creating jobs for local workers.
Total sales for its UK parent company Poundland went up more than 13% between March 2013 and the same time this year to hit nearly £1 billion (€1.27 billion), although its pre-tax profits shrunk about 19%.
At the time it already had 528 Poundland and Dealz stores open, and it was planning to set up another 60 each year, according to the company’s most recent financial report.
The news comes as a recent Retail Ireland survey found consumers’ thrifty buying habits from during the recession had become ingrained and price was the most important consideration when doing their regular shopping runs.
READ: Ireland, the recession and shopping: why we love a good bargain
READ: Shoppers still going to Northern Ireland for cheap food and alcohol
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