Hammerson : Pavilions Shopping Centre kick starts 2018 with refreshed retail mix

Hammerson announces that Australian stationery chain, Smiggle has launched its fifth Irish store in Pavilions Shopping Centre, Swords. At the same time, River Island has chosen to upsize its current store, enabling the brand to implement its innovative fit-out and concepts, which are proving to be popular with customers across its portfolio.

Smiggle's new 1,302 sq ft store which opened last week, offers shoppers its full collection of colourful and fun stationery, as well as school accessories. Currently operating 285 stores across 7 countries, Smiggle has been an exciting entrant to the Irish market having launched its first Irish store in Dundrum Town Centre in May 2017. Smiggle's third store in Ireland opened in Dublin city's Ilac Centre at the end of last year.

One of Pavilions Shopping Centre's most popular stores, River Island's expansion will see the brand upsize from its existing 7,798 sq ft store into a new 10,738 sq ft unit that will include a ground floor level, as well as a mezzanine. River Island's new store, which is due to open in the Summer, will become an important flagship for the brand showcasing its full fashion and homeware ranges.

Simon Betty, Hammerson Director of Retail Ireland, said: 'It's fantastic to welcome Smiggle into the centre and to accommodate River Island in upsizing. Both are great brands and their decision to secure space is testament to the centre's position as North Dublin's leading shopping destination, and also clearly demonstrates the trend of growing occupier demand for prime retail space.'

John Cheston, Managing Director of Smiggle, commented: 'We're thrilled to have opened our store here in Swords. There really is nothing like Smiggle anywhere else on the high street - and it has been great to see the public's reaction when our doors opened on 16 February.

'It's important for us to inject fun into everything we do - from product design to store design, we will always focus on delivering to our fans the most original and playful stationery possible.'

River Island, added: 'We are very pleased to have the opportunity to upsize our store in Pavilions, giving us the ability to showcase even more of our range to shoppers.'

ENDS