New JYSK outlet set to open in July

JYSK, the hugely popular Scandinavian homewares and furniture chain, has confirmed it will open a new store in Athlone, the country's 17th at the end of July.

The Danish retailer, whose arrival on the local landscape is sure to excite shoppers and fans of Scandi chic alike, will be based in Arcadia Retail Park where work is underway to get the new base ready.

“We are planning to open at the end of July, the provisional date has been set as July 21, however, there is a bit of caveat of course, as it depends on progress of work during the build and so on, but we're very confident we'll definitely have it open by the end of July, hopefully in Athlone by Thursday, July 21,” Sales and Marketing Manager with JYSK Ireland, Jenny Johnston told the Westmeath Independent on Monday last.

Recruitment is already underway to fill the new Athlone jobs on the careers site attached to the hugely popular Danish brand.

“This store (Athlone) will have 12 jobs, some of them are already being advertised, even though the store isn’t open till July we need the team in place and training,” said Jenny.

Speaking about the business name, Jenny explained its origins: “It's a Danish name JYSK, but it's pronounced phonetically as YOOSK. In Denmark, YOOSK is actually the slang for someone in Denmark from an area called Jutland. It's like saying you're a Dubliner, for example.

“It's someone who comes from Jutland and there are a lot of values associated with that, generally, honesty, loyalty, hardworking, down to earth. The owner Lars Larsen is himself from Jutland”.

Very much in line with the stores already open in Ireland, the Athlone shop will have everything for the home across about 1,200 square metres or over 12,000 square feet of space, and will feature the brand's latest concept in terms of look and feel, which, she added is very positive from a customer point of view.

When the business started over 40 years ago, it was primarily concentrated on bedding, specialising in Scandinavian sleeping culture with high-quality products – from mattresses, duvets and pillows to bedframes and bases – but since then it has massively evolved then to include furniture, garden furniture, homewares and home textiles.

Asked whether JYSK's description as a Danish version of IKEA is accurate, Jenny replied: “I think it's fair to say that it gives a picture of the type of products we sell and that's probably where the comparison ends, in terms of our store format, the fact we open a lot of stores and we like to be close to the customer so Athlone will be our 17th store in Ireland”.

What makes JYSK unique in the current retail landscape is the great value and top quality, she stated, before adding that the brand is known for its great offers, and they will be going all out on that front for opening week.

“I suppose we have the benefit of being a billion euro business with 3,000 stores globally. It's quite unique in the Irish market in terms of Scandinavian design, it's very design-led but very affordable prices,” commented Jenny, adding that they will also benefit from a location so close to the motorway in Athlone with ample parking.

The brand's only other current store in the Midlands is in Portlaoise in Co Laois. Last year, it opened six new outlets in Ireland. At the end of 2021, the Danish company said that it may open up to ten new stores in Ireland over the following year, and eventually open 50.