Discount Retail Chain Dealz Ireland (owned by Pep&Co) is opening its first distribution centre in Ireland, at Clonee in Co Meath, creating 60 new jobs and providing a direct route to market for Irish suppliers.
The new facility at THE HUB, Logistics Park, which represents a €4.4m a year investment, will also become the base for Ireland’s leadership team who are responsible for both the Republic of Ireland and Poundland stores in Northern Ireland.
Dealz is confident the new facility will provide additional opportunities for it to expand its Irish supply chain, working in partnership with 3PL and Primeline. The announcement comes as the company celebrates a "Decade of Dealz" after opening its first Irish stores in 2011 at Blanchardstown and Portlaoise. It now has a portfolio of 79 stores across the country.
For the first time, Dealz also plans to open stand-alone clothing and home stores in 2022.
Poundland & Dealz managing director, Barry Williams, said the new Clonee distribution centre and investment in Dealz is further evidence of the company's commitment to the Irish retail market and a vote of confidence for the future of the sector. "Our Dealz brand was born in Ireland and has gone from strength-to-strength over the past 10 years," Mr Williams said.
"It’s a reflection of that growing importance that we’re now able to invest further in our Irish operations in support of the customers and communities that have supported us over the past decade," he added. Earlier this year, Dealz unveiled a €20m (US$ 22mn) Irish investment fund for store expansion and transformation which will create around 500 jobs over the next three years.
In the last number of months alone, the retailer has hired over 120 staff including in new or refurbished stores in Carrickmines, Ballymun and Mullingar, with Tipperary set to open in November. Through a €20m investment fund, the group is actively exploring opportunities across Ireland, particularly within smaller, regional areas including Galway, Donegal, Mayo, Wicklow, Leitrim, Meath, Kildare, Kerry, Clare, Louth, Sligo, Limerick and Waterford, as well as suburbs of Dublin.
As Dealz enters its second decade in Ireland, the investment will support the country’s recovery from the pandemic. The company continues to focus on people development including apprenticeship and degree programmes working with Skillsnet Ireland. Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English said, "It’s great to see Dealz mark its tenth year in business with the news of a new distribution centre opening in Ireland and I’m especially pleased to see that it will be located, along with 60 new jobs, in Co Meath. "This is an important next step for Dealz as it builds deeper relationships with Irish suppliers, customers and communities. "The company’s investment in careers within the retail sector and people development is great to see, with many of their passionate and talented workforce enrolled in programmes supported by Skillnet Ireland," Mr English said.
"It has never been more important for retailers to build supportive environments for people to flourish and the announcement of even more jobs at Dealz today is very encouraging for the sector," he added.
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