Write a comment
Buttercrane Centre in Newry is ending the trading year on a high note, with the opening of four new stores pushing occupancy levels to 98% and creating more than 30 new jobs in the city.
The final quarter of the year has seen 11,000 square feet of retail space let to quality brands including Rituals, Tipperary, Toytown and a supersized Louis Boyd store. Combined investment by the landlord and various tenants has totalled more than £1.2 million this quarter, with 34 new jobs created across full and part-time positions.
Leading independent menswear brand Louis Boyd has been a fixture in Buttercrane since the centre opened back in 1988. Earlier this month, the retailer relocated to a 4,500 square foot superstore within the scheme. The new megastore stocks leading gents' fashion brands including Gant, Tommy Hilfiger, Farah, Boss, Diesel, Calvin Klein, Barbour, Lacoste and Lyle & Scott, alongside an extended formal suiting section and footwear department.
Located next to Louis Boyd is luxury wellbeing brand Rituals, which opened at the start of the fourth quarter in a 1,500 square foot retail space. The store offers shoppers an immersive experience into Rituals' signature range of luxurious bath, body and home products, designed to inspire moments of mindfulness and self-care in everyday life.
Tipperary, a market leader in high-end design and quality giftware, is making its first venture into the north with its Buttercrane opening. The brand has been a long-established feature on high streets and in shopping centres south of the border for many years, curating contemporary and classic collections of jewellery, fashion accessories and homeware.
The Northern Irish-owned Toytown brand has opened its seventh store in Northern Ireland at Buttercrane. One of the largest toy retailers in the UK, Toytown offers a wide selection of toys and games for boys and girls of all ages, with a clear focus on play, and stocking products designed to inspire young imaginations.
Centre Manager Peter Murray described the developments as a "significant milestone" in the current challenging trading environment. He said: "As we move to the close of the year, this is a very welcome addition to the local economy."
Mr Murray added: "On behalf of the landlord, management team and our vibrant trading committee, I wish Tipperary, Toytown, Rituals and the new supersized Louis Boyd every success as they begin Christmas trading in our scheme. This is a meaningful addition to our 52-strong store retail mix, and a real vote of confidence in the Centre and in Newry city as a retail destination."
