Iceland is coming to Athlone in 2012

Athlone is set to welcome supermarket chain Iceland to the local retail landscape during 2012 and with it up to 50 new jobs. The company confirmed this week that it is fully committed to opening a new store in Athlone and it expects to be trading in the town during next year. "We are currently looking at two sites in the town," Tom Keogh, Group Chief Executive of AIM Group, which owns the master franchise for the Iceland chain in Ireland told the Westmeath Independent this week. He admitted it had anticipated the Athlone store, estimated to be 8,000 to 10,000 square foot in size, would be further along at this stage but there are a still a number of outstanding issues to iron out. Recruitment will begin once an opening date has been agreed, he said, stressing that the Athlone area was a high priority for the food retailer. "Athlone is definitely on our list. We expect to be open and trading in 2012. We hope to open as early as possible next year," he explained. "Generally, an Iceland store creates between 40 to 50 new jobs on average," Mr Keogh, who is no stranger to Athlone having worked as a manager in Dunnes Stores in the town some years ago, added. Iceland currently has eight stores in Ireland, having opened four in the month of November alone and their first outside Dublin in Carlow, Clonmel and Ashbourne. "We plan to open another eight to twelve next year (2012) and have 40-50 stores in Ireland by 2014," Mr Keogh explained, with stores in Longford, Cork and Waterford due to open in the early part of next year.