Housing boom boosts 4HOME

The 4HOME chain of home and garden superstores is to open new stores in Bandon, Ballincollig and Cobh.

The Bandon store opens in the summer of 2007, Ballincollig in the spring of 2007 and Cobh is at the planning stage.

The chain is a subsidiary of Dairygold, the country’s largest farmer-owned food company, employing 2,000 persons and with an annual turnover in excess of €870m.

4HOME plans to create more than 600 jobs over the next three years through a national network of stores including company owned and franchise outlets

Company managing director Simon Healy said they were delighted with the success to date of their 4HOME stores in Carrigaline, Mallow, Killarney, Limerick and elsewhere throughout the country.

Plans were well advanced for a new 60,000 sq. ft development in Macroom, while the Dairygold Co-op superstore in Midleton would be re-branded as a 4HOME store.

The aim was to open up to 20 new company-owned and franchise stores throughout the country within the next two years.

The 4HOME concept had been specifically designed to facilitate franchising.

The idea was to offer independent retailers the opportunity to compete on a level playing pitch with bigger firms in terms of purchasing and marketing power.

Mr Healy, educated at Douglas Community College, UCC and Sheffield University in England and a lecturer in training at UCC, said a big emphasis would be on staff training.

They would take the expertise and helpfulness associated with traditional Irish hardware stores and combine it with the product choice, range and value associated with the major multiples to deliver a compelling customer proposition.