‘Vote of confidence’ in Limerick’s future as Penneys unveils €5 million store refurbishment

A GATHERING of staff and customers stepped into the sun on Thursday, outside Penneys O’Connell Street as its newly refurbished store was unveiled.

With an investment of over €5 million, this is the biggest refurbishment of the store in over a decade and will provide a major boost to Limerick city’s shopping experience and local economy.

Originally opened in 1980, the newly revamped store spans 25,000 sq. ft. across two shopping floors. 

The refurbishment includes significant upgrades to key customer areas, the addition of new fashion and interior ranges, and modernised facilities, with new flooring and lighting throughout, better signage and branding, and more space to try things on, with 16 fitting rooms now available - including a brand-new wheelchair-accessible cubicle. 

Speaking at the relaunch of Penneys O’Connell Street, Minister Kieran O’Donnell, TD for Limerick City, said: “Penneys has long been a cornerstone of retail on Limerick’s O’Connell Street, and this investment is a clear vote of confidence in our city’s future. It’s great to see a business with deep roots in the community continuing to evolve while providing valuable local employment. The refurbished store looks fantastic and will be warmly welcomed by shoppers from across Limerick and beyond.”

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“It's a huge statement of confidence here in the city, and what we're looking to do here in the future. Furthermore, It's going to bring further footfall into the city centre itself.” 

Speaking with a Leader reporter, Noel McNamara, Store Manager of Penneys O’Connell street store, said “It's brilliant to reopen this morning and deliver a brand new store to the city. We’ve been trading in Limerick City since 1980, and we are proud of what we do in the city and the employment we bring. The relaunch this morning just cements the fact that we see a future in this city here in Limerick, and we have a five million euro investment here. We want to send the message out that we are here, we’re open for business, we want a vibrant Limerick City, and we want to play our part in that going forward. We’re more than happy to keep investing and keep that confidence in the city.”

Fintan Costello, Head of Penneys Ireland and Northern Ireland, added: “Penneys has been a proud part of Limerick’s shopping scene since 1980, and our O’Connell Street store has always been a key part of the city centre experience. This latest investment is about more than just upgrading fixtures – it’s our way of saying thank you to our customers and colleagues in Limerick for their loyalty over the years. I know you love your store and I know you love your city.” 

Penneys O’Connell Street is a major local employer, with 164 colleagues working in the store, and an average of 75 team members working daily. The store is also home to many long-serving colleagues, with a fifth of the team having more than 20 years of service, including two colleagues with 45 years of dedicated work at Penneys.

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To minimise disruption to Penneys’ loyal customers, all refurbishment work took place at night outside of trading hours, with a team of 40 contractors working hard to transform the store while doors remained open for shoppers each day. 

Penneys is continuing to grow its footprint in County Limerick, with additional plans to double the size of its much-loved Dooradoyle store next year.

This exciting expansion is part of Primark’s wider €250 million investment programme in Ireland, which is transforming stores across the country. 

The newly revamped O’Connell Street store in Limerick city is the latest milestone in that journey, following recent upgrades in Dublin’s O’Connell Street and several other regional locations. And there’s more to come, with redevelopments planned in Portlaoise and Ennis in the months ahead.

See the broadsheet edition of the Limerick Leader newspaper, in shops on Wednesday, July 16, for a chance to win €50 vouchers for Penneys