Jobs boost as Shaws to open in former Argos Athlone unit

Shaws, one of Ireland's most iconic retail brands, is set to open its first Athlone store next month with the creation of 20 new jobs.

The new store will open its doors to the public for the first time on Thursday, October 10, in the Golden Island Shopping Centre unit that was previously occupied by Argos.

The 9,000 sq ft unit will be the 16th Shaws store around the country and according to the CEO of the company, Conrad Digan, it will have “a strong fashion focus” and will showcase the best of Shaws women's wear, beauty, lingerie, children's wear and seasonal gifting.

Mr Digan was in Athlone on Monday of this week to announce the impending opening of the new store, where he was joined by Mayor and local Fianna Fail Cllr, Frankie Keena, and the manager of the Golden Island Shopping Centre, Pat O'Toole.

In welcoming the arrival of Shaws to Athlone, Mayor Frankie Keena, said it was “a fantastic news story” and “a strong vote of confidence” in the local retail landscape.

“Athlone is one of the strongest towns in the Midlands region and a major retail hub for people from a very wide catchment area,” he said. “Shaws offers lots of choice and value and will be a great addition to what the town has to offer.”

Cllr Keena added that the location of the new store in Golden Island, “which already has fantastic footfall,” and the creation of up to 20 jobs, will be “a huge boost for the entire area”.

The manager of Golden Island Shopping Centre, Pat O'Toole, described the the former Argos unit as “substantial” and said it represents roughly 5% of the net retail floor area in the centre, so he said there was only a limited number of retailers in the market for a unit of that size.

“We think Shaws is going to be a huge boost, not just for the Golden Island centre itself, but for the town as a whole, and I think the type of offering they have will fit the demographic of this area very well.”

With many of the major shopping centres in larger urban areas, including Dublin, suffering a severe drop in footfall since Covid and the move towards remote working, Pat O'Toole said Golden Island has “bounced back really well” since the pandemic and has seen a steady increase in trade.

He also expressed the hope that the Shaws brand will entice more people to visit the centre, with the next nearest branch being located in Mullingar.

Company CEO, Conrad Digan, was keen to point out this week that the store will also feature omni channel shopping, whereby customers can order online from the wide range of products available right across the Shaws range.

A free click and collect service to the new Shaws Athlone store will also be available to customers.

Speaking of the decision to choose Athlone as a location for the company's 16th store, Mr Digan said Shaws customers had been requesting that the company come to Athlone “for a very long time,” but it was “a question of finding the right location”.

He is confident that Golden Island is that location, and he said there is “a lot of brand awareness” around what Shaws has to offer. “I also feel our timing is good, so we are really looking forward to welcoming everyone to our new store on October 10.”

The majority of staff vacancies at the new Athlone store have now been filled, and many of the new staff are “currently undergoing training” according to Conrad Digan.

“The roles will be predominantly female and will consist of a mix of roles and a mix of skill sets within the team.

The new Athlone store will open at 10.30am on Thursday, October 10, and will feature a range of special opening offers of up to 25% across the store, refreshments, goodie bags, and a chance to win a €500 Shaws gift card.

Shaws is one of the oldest retail brands in Ireland, having been founded in a small drapery shop in Mountmellick, county Laois in 1864 by Henry Shaw and his wife Annie.

From the early to mid-20th century, the family-owned business expanded across the Midlands opening stores in Athy, Waterford and Carlow. The opening of the Athlone store marks the 16th store across the country over a period of 160 years.

In recent years, the family-owned business has invested in upgrading its existing stores, modernising its brand and expanding its online presence.