Dealz eyes seven more stores as discount retailer prepares to open in Clonakilty
The owner Dealz-Poundland has opened three stores in the Republic and plans to open seven more this year as the discount retailer sees opportunities to expand in the Covid economic downturn with its Pep&Co clothing brand.
Owned by Pepco - currently a subsidiary of troubled South African-based international retaining group Steinhoff - the company trades as Dealz in the Republic where it will have 99 stores after opening three new stores in Rathfarnham in Dublin, Clonakilty in Cork, and Buncrana in Donegal in recent weeks.
In the North, its Poundland name has 33 outlets where it plans to put more of Pep&Co clothing range without necessarily opening new outlets.
Dealz-Poundland has in the past said that its clothing brand Pep&Co competes with Penney’s.
Olivia McLoughlin, country manager, said it wants to open seven more Dealz stores this year in counties, including Roscommon and Tipperary, where it has no outlets.
Despite footfall still being down, the Covid downturn may help its cause as customers seek out discounters, while there are more opportunities on main streets where retailers have pulled out or won’t reopen, she said.
Steinhoff was hit by an accounting scandal three years ago and had lined up to sell Pepco - which operates in Poland, Romania, Hungary, and the Czech Republic as well as Spain. That deal appears to have been delayed by the Covid lockdowns.
