French retail giant Decathlon to open nine stores here in Ireland

Great day for the parish!

French sports retailer Decathlon is coming to Ireland and is expected to open nine stores across the country. Yes, after years of rumours and cancelled plans, the sports outlet has confirmed it is preparing to open its first Irish shop with eight more planned for across Dublin, Cork and Galway. The brand was rumoured to be moving to Ireland back in 2008, however, the recession quickly called a halt to that plan. However, 10 years later and the company is setting up roots here with their first Irish office opening in Sandyford, Dublin, and a new partnership with An Post to facilitate their online site. It’s expected that the first Irish store won’t be open until 2019, but the news already has us very excited. There are rumours that the first store might open in Dundrum Town Centre, however, it’s also being reported that the company hope to acquire a much larger space.

“We will take the time to find the perfect place to fit our concept,” Decathlon Ireland CEO Bastien Grandgeorge told The Irish Times. “It’s hard to find commercial places, but we’re not in a rush, and if we have to open in 2021 it’s not a problem. “We’re here to stay for the long term.”

The nine new stores are expected to bring in more than 500 job opportunities for people across the country.