Danish retailer JYSK plans new stores

Danish home retailer JYSK is expanding its presence in Ireland planning to open seven new stores this year aiming for €70 million in turnover over the next five years.

Having opened five stores last year, JYSK will open new premises in Waterford and Limerick in February and March.

The company said it also plans to open stores in Sligo, Carlow and Dublin, along with two stores in Cork city, during summer 2020 creating more than 70 full-time jobs.

JYSK announced last year it would open 15 stores across Ireland but said that their success so far means they now plan to open 40 stores over the next three to five years.

This is despite the company highlighting obstacles they have faced in opening new premises.

"It has been very difficult, time-consuming, and expensive to open new stores in Ireland.

We have noted that in other parts of Europe we can issue and sign a lease contract within two to four weeks, whereas in Ireland, this is taking up to 16 weeks in some cases," Poul Erik Larsen, Expansion Director at JYSK said.

Despite these difficulties, Roni Tuominen, Country Manager at JYSK Ireland, said: “Our goal is to establish new JYSK locations in towns and cities all over Ireland, so we can contribute to the local economy, especially in smaller communities where our job creation will be extremely valuable."

Founded in Denmark in 1979 by Lars Larsen, JYSK has expanded to 51 countries, with more than 2,700 stores worldwide employing 23,000 people.

The five stores already operating in Ireland are located in Youghal, Portlaoise, Naas, Navan and Drogheda.