The retailer has moved to a new 16,500sq ft store in McAleer & Rushe’s £10 million retail and office scheme in Molesworth Street in the town.

The development also features a 150-space car park below deck, providing customers with safe, convenient parking and protection from the elements.

The split-level store introduces the Sports Direct fascia, providing both a leading sports and fashion offer in-store.

Heatons currently boasts eight stores Province-wide and owns the franchise for Sports Direct – previously known as Sports World – for the island of Ireland.

Cookstown’s new Sports Direct store opening marks the seventh for the company in Northern Ireland and confirms Heatons expansion throughout the Province.

“We are delighted to introduce two excellent retail outlets to Molesworth Plaza in Cookstown and even in the first few days of trading we can see the increase to footfall and the buzz of activity around the scheme,” said BTWShiells retail director Paul Wilson, who handled the letting.

“We are currently negotiating terms with a number of additional high street multiples and blue chip organisations for the office space and we would expect to be making exiting announcements in the near future.”

John O’Neill, managing director of Heatons, said the new store marked a major step.

“Heatons has been trading in Cookstown since 2000 and the move to larger premises has enabled us to double our trading space, provide new employment opportunities – taking the total employment to 55 – and introduce the Sports Direct brand.”