Halfords hanker for Irish expansion

HALFORDS, Britain’s leading retailer of car parts, cycles and accessories, has no immediate plans to open stores in the Irish Republic, but it remains an ambition a spokesman for the company said yesterday.

Halfords is a major player in the British retailing sector, and is one of the biggest non-food retailers in Britain where car owners spend millions on car DIY improvements.

The company has more than 400 stores across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, The company has close to 12,000 product lines, an annual turn-over of in excess of £500 million and a company history spanning more than a century. It is considered a British business institution.