Head of Liverpool retail complex hired to run Blanchardstown shopping centre

The operator of Blanchardstown Shopping Centre has lured a key figure from one of Britain’s biggest retail complexes to run the Dublin business.

Falcon AM, asset manager of the Blanchardstown mall in west Dublin, will confirm on Friday that it has appointed Iain Finlayson as centre director.

Finlayson joins the Dublin business from Liverpool ONE, one of England’s biggest retail and leisure centres, where he was estate director.

Liverpool ONE attracts more than 33 million consumers a year.

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Conor Owens, Falcon AM chief executive, noted that Finlayson’s track record spanned retail, management, customer service and commercial strategy.

The appointment reflects Falcon AM’s “ambition to keep raising the bar for Irish retail” by drawing world-class brands, giving outstanding customer service and reinforcing Blanchardstown as “the destination of choice” for Irish and overseas retailers, Owens said.

Finlayson hailed Blanchardstown as the “most significant” retail and leisure complex in Ireland with enormous potential for growth.

Falcon AM has appointed Iain Finlayson as centre director of Blanchardstown shopping centre

“What particularly attracted me to the role was the ambition behind the destination: the clear commitment to strategic development, innovation and enhancing customer experience,” he said.

Blanchardstown opened in 1996 and is Ireland’s biggest shopping centre. The complex has 102,000 sq m (1.1 million sq ft) of retail and leisure space, with 188 shops.

Anchor tenants include Dunnes Stores, Marks & Spencer, and Aldi, while fashion chains Penneys, H&M, Zara, Hollister, and Mango have outlets there.

Completed in 2008 to coincide with the British city’s tenure as European Capital of Culture, Liverpool ONE is the UK’s biggest open air shopping centre and tenth largest retail complex overall.

The development boosted Liverpool’s profile making the city more attractive to retailers. The overall investment was valued at £920 million (€1.06 billion).

Anchor tenants include Marks & Spencer, as well as John Lewis & Partners. Land Securities Group plc, known as Landsec, bought the complex from Grosvenor Group in 2024.