Sports Direct joins Athlone retail landscape

Sports Direct, Europe’s biggest sports retailer, has opened a massive new store in Athlone today (Friday).

The new 19,000 square foot outlet, employing around 30 staff, is a high profile new anchor tenant addition to Athlone Towncentre, and will cement its ambitions to be the leading shopping destination in the Midlands and West region.

Work has been ongoing over several months to refurbish and amalgamate five units in the shopping centre to make way for the new outlet.

Back in February, Athlone Towncentre confirmed that it was funding and undertaking the estimated €1 million revamp of the space to be occupied by Sports Direct.

Aged just 18, Mike Ashley founded his first sports and ski shop in Maidenhead in England, back in 1982.

Over a decade later he had hundreds of Sports Direct high street shops across the country, and later many more across Ireland.

By 2019, as the business grew to more than a sports retailer, it rebranded as Frasers Group which also includes well known names like House of Fraser, Jack Wills, USC and Flannels.

Sports Direct and USC also have an outlet in Roscommon town.