M&S to create 150 jobs in Cork as second city store to open

MARKS & Spencer is preparing to open a store in Douglas which could create 150 jobs in Cork.

The store is due to open at the end of November and, according to sources, it will start recruiting in the coming weeks.

Given the size of the space being occupied, the store is likely to employ up to 150 staff.

It will mainly be a food store with a small range of textiles, sources say.

The store is expected to open at the Douglas Village Shopping Centre, where Tesco is the anchor tenant.

This will be the second Marks & Spencer store in Cork. The other is at Merchants Quay Shopping Centre.

According to sources, negotiations have been ongoing for a year and an announcement will be made shortly.

A spokeswoman for Marks & Spencer refused to comment yesterday as did a spokesman for Douglas Village Shopping Centre.

Marks & Spencer has 20 stores in Ireland.

Earlier this year it said it has seen a solid improvement in trading at its Irish stores since the last budget, an indication, it said, that consumers want more confidence about where they stand financially.

The supermarket said that despite the improvement in trading conditions in Ireland it was “heavily impacted by the economic downturn”.

Securing Marks as a tenant will be a major boost for the Douglas Village shopping centre, which recently underwent a €90 million revamp.

The centre was originally built in the 1970s. It is home to Tesco’s biggest Munster store, with food at the lower level and clothing, entertainment and other goods overhead.

It is understood that 32,000sq ft will be made available to Marks & Spencer at the centre.

In time it is expected that there will be more than 60 retail units at the centre and 1,000 car parking spaces.