JD Sports set to triple its size at Northern Ireland shopping centre

Craigavon-based shopping destination, Rushmere, has announced that JD Sports will undergo a major upsize as part of its lease renewal, creating up to 30 new jobs.

The popular sports and casualwear fashion retailer, which has been at the scheme since 2008 and is best-known for housing sporting and activewear brands including, Adidas, Nike, The North Face, and Puma, will relocate to a 10,086 sq. ft unit to the main mall entrance.

The new store is due to open in July and will see JD Sports significantly increase its product offering of trainers, sportswear, and fashionwear.

Retailer confidence has been high at Rushmere following last year’s announcement that a transformational £10 million redevelopment project was underway to completely reimagine the destination’s visitor experience.

The redevelopment plan first commenced in spring 2023 and has already secured a growing number of new brands to join Rushmere’s robust tenant portfolio. Book retailer, Waterstones, homeware, and lifestyle giant Miniso, sandwich outlet, Subway, and speciality coffee house, Fika, all opened their doors last year, and new retailer announcements are imminent in the coming months.

Last December, the project reached its first milestone by unveiling a new-look transport hub and east mall entrance alongside the creation of additional spaces for local suppliers to operate at the scheme. Renovations are ongoing at Rushmere, and on completion, the destination will feature a spacious new entrance and modernised interiors.

Martin Walsh, Rushmere centre manager, said: “JD Sports has been within our retailer portfolio for several years, and we are thrilled to announce that the brand is further investing in the scheme by creating a larger, new, and improved flagship store for our loyal customers. This recent deal illustrates both retailer confidence and a shared vision with our retailers to place Rushmere firmly on the map as an exceptional shopping destination.

“We’re making great progress with our redevelopment plan, and the month-on-month uplift in footfall figures indicates the work completed to date is already positively impacting the visitor experience.”