Sales at Kildare Village at record high
Sales at Kildare Village are at a record high as the eagerly awaited €50 million Phase two extension opens. The extension will further enhance the shopping experience for the Village’s guests from around the world, strengthening its position as Ireland’s leading shopping tourism destination.
33 new boutiques and two restaurants are to open in the new extension, taking the total number of boutiques at the Village to 100, with new international luxury brands arriving for the first time. 400 new jobs have been created at the Village alone, boosting the Irish retail economy and bringing the number of staff employed at the Village to 1,000. As well as the jobs created at the Village, 120 jobs were generated during the construction phase, which was completed by Collen Construction. The Village will also generate €5.5 million in wages for the local economy.
Sales yield at Kildare Village last year increased by 11.2% and total sales increased by 10.8%. Figures from this year (January to September) show the Village has performed even more strongly in 2015, with total sales increasing by 17.7% and the sales yield increasing by 15.8%. These results place Kildare Village amongst the best performing of the nine Villages across Europe that are operated by Value Retail.
The €50 million investment in Kildare by Value Retail demonstrates a significant vote of confidence in Ireland.
Kildare Village attracts more than 2.5 million guests a year, with three in ten travelling from overseas to experience the hospitality that is unique to the Villages. There has been a significant increase in long-haul travellers from China, the Middle East and USA, bringing valuable tourism commerce into the economy.
Tax refunded sales generated by non-EU guests to Kildare Village have increased by 19% in the year to date. Chinese visitors account for 51% of these sales; behind them, the highest-spending overseas visitors are from Malaysia, USA and UAE.
As part of the Phase 2 extension, a new Visitor Centre will offer guests enhanced hospitality services including Hands-free Shopping, a pocket concierge service and a Style Consultancy. Additionally, two new restaurants are opening in the Village: the upmarket Belgian boulangerie chain, Le Pain Quotidien, and the popular Irish-owned Joe’s Café.
The 5,544 square metres extension – which takes the total size of the Village to 16,570 square metres – includes more than 400 extra parking spaces, with a new traffic management system now operating in the Village.