ZARA, the international fashion retailer, opened its doors to a new store at Blanchardstown Centre on Thursday last, Blanchardstown being Dublin’s largest retail and leisure destination – and the new ZARA outlet is Ireland’s largest for the popular retailer..
ZARA is owned by Spanish multinational clothing company Inditex, whose portfolio also includes Massimo Dutti, Pull&Bear, Stradivarius and Bershka, amongst others..
Spanning 52,000 sq ft in total, the expansive new store is located on Level 2, and offers the latest womenswear, menswear and childrenswear collections, along with accessories, through a world-class and vibrant in-store experience. ZARA previously occupied a smaller, 14,000 sq ft unit at the centre.
The new store features the latest technological innovations of Zara’s integrated online and physical store platforms. It is equipped with technological tools to offer customers a unique fashion experience.
Some of the services integrated with the brand’s app include:
- Store Mode – allowing online search for items in store, available stock queries, a fitting room reservation service and the collection of online orders within two hours
- Online shopping collection point – with a robotised silo where customers can go directly to collect online orders using a QR code/password received via email
- Dedicated returns area
- Self-checkout area – offering customers an experience integrated with the brand’s online platform
The store also includes new areas for the latest product lines, such as the menswear Athleticz line (the only one in Ireland), as well as footwear and accessories in the Women’s and Men’s sections. These ’boutique’ spaces have a distinctive design and furnishings, with adjacent restocking areas for a more personalised service.
Menswear Athleticz
The addition of ZARA follows several other recent signings at the centre – including Nike, which will open its new Nike Unite concept store next year, which will be the first in Ireland, and UK luxury fashion retailer, FLANNELS, which is set to open a new 45,000 sq ft department store this month.
Blanchardstown Centre is Dublin’s largest retail and leisure destination, covering over 1.1m sq ft. The centre acts as a key community focal point and attracts high visitor numbers from Dublin and surrounding counties, with an annual footfall of over 16m.
The centre has benefitted from an extension and extensive refurbishment process over the last two years, with further spend planned. The work involved a full mall upgrade. This investment has succeeded in attracting a host of new international and local brands, and centre occupancy currently stands at 98 per cent.
Pat Nash, MD at Falcon AM, asset managers for Blanchardstown Centre, commented:
“The new ZARA store is a great addition to the line-up here at Blanchardstown and will act as a real footfall driver as we enter the Christmas shopping period.
“The signing is indicative of continued confidence across the market – and the resilience of prime physical retail in Ireland specifically. It also reflects the success of our substantial investment in the centre over the last two years, increasing its appeal for international, household names like this one.”
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