FASHION and homewares retailer Menarys has announced plans for a new store at The Junction Retail and Leisure Park in Antrim.
The new 3,500 sq ft outlet will open inside on the same day as Dobbies new garden centre, creating seven new jobs.
Both Dobbies and Menarys will open for trading at The Junction on October 5.
The Menarys store network currently spans 15 stores in the north, with two across the border.
The retailer opened its first store in England last year.
The 3,500sq ft outlet at Ramsgate Garden Centre in Kent, marked the family-owned firm’s first store outside the island of Ireland since the company was formed in 1923.
In a company report published earlier this year, Menarys said it plans further openings in England, with new stores potentially opening in late 2023 and early 2024.
Read more:
- Retailer Menarys planning to expand presence in Britain
- Green light for new £10m Dobbies garden centre in Antrim
Menarys said the new 3,500 sq ft unit at The Junction will carry a variety of women and men’s fashion, accessories, home furnishings, cooking and dining products.
“This opening is particularly notable as it will trigger an entire month of celebrations across our business as we reach the milestone of our 100th Birthday in October,” said Menarys’ managing director, Jonathan Kerrigan.
“We are thrilled that visitors to our new store at The Junction will be part of those celebration.”
Paul McCann, from Lotus Property, which owns the Antrim retail park, said: “It is a huge milestone for us at The Junction to have two major retailers open their doors onsite this October.
“Menarys is a household name across Northern Ireland and will be an excellent addition to our offering at The Junction.
“As we continue to grow with Dobbies and Menarys joining our already strong offering, it is an exciting time for the scheme as we enter 92 per cent occupancy across The Junction’s 300,000sq ft of retail space for the first time in our history.”
Menarys' latest accounts show it recorded a 16 per cent rise in turnover for the year to January 31 2023.
The company, which is owned by Stephen and Philip McCammon, recorded a pre-tax proft of just over £716,000.
Its new expansion strategy follows a number of store closures in the north in recent years.
The retailer’s three Tempest fashion outlets were a casualty of the Arcadia Group collapse.
The stores in Omagh, Cookstown and at the Rushmere shopping centre, which closed in early 2021, had mainly stocked Arcadia brands.
