Boots has become the latest major brand to join the line-up at Athlone Towncentre, signing a 10-year lease on a 3,500sq ft unit on the ground floor of the shopping centre. The pharmacy-led health and beauty retailer is expected to open for business alongside Marks & Spencer, Next, Zara, H&M, Sports Direct, River Island and JD Sports and the centre’s other occupiers in the second quarter of this year.
The news of Boots’ arrival at Athlone Towncentre follows the recent opening by Australian jewellery brand, Lovisa, of its new 1,000sq ft store on the centre’s ground floor.
Golden Discs, Ireland’s largest and oldest home entertainment specialist retailer, meanwhile has upsized and relocated from its original ground-floor unit to a new, 2,100sq ft store on the first floor which had previously been occupied by the Quiz clothing store.
A number of lease renewals have also been agreed with existing occupiers, including clothing brands Regatta and Name It, both of which have committed to new five-year terms at improved rental levels.
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James Woodhouse, asset manager at Alanis Capital, said: “The outlook for Athlone Towncentre in 2026 is very positive. With record levels of retail occupancy at 98 per cent, our ambition is to grow and sustain the popularity of this destination shopping location.”
Athlone Towncentre, which opened for business in 2007, is the largest shopping centre in the Midlands. Located on Mardyke Street and within a short distance of the M6 (Dublin to Galway) motorway, it comprises 180,000sq ft of retail space along with 1,100 underground car-parking spaces.
The scheme is owned by Davidson Kempner. The US-headquartered investment group acquired the centre in 2015 as part of its wider €118 million purchase of the Cornerstone Portfolio – a collection of six provincial shopping centres distributed across six counties.
The portfolio, which had been valued at between €400 million and €450 million before the property crash in 2007, also included a large stake in MacDonagh Junction shopping centre in Kilkenny; Tipp Town Centre in Tipperary; Westside Shopping Centre in Galway, Gorey Shopping Centre in Wexford, and Orwell Shopping Centre in Templeogue, Dublin 6W.
The sale also comprised 150 apartments located next to Athlone Towncentre.
