Urban Outfitters to open second Irish store as it speeds up Europe/UK openings

Urban Outfitters is maintaining its busy European expansion plan, opening its second Irish store in Cork later this week.

The Cork store, located on one of the city’s most popular destinations, St Patrick’s Street, has been “beautifully converted” from a former Methodist church spanning over 5,000 sq ft across two trading floors.

It will host a variety of proprietary brands including Urban Outfitters Masterbrand, BDG, iets frans, Kimchi Blue, Loom and Ayker, all designed in-house at its London HQ.

To mark the opening, Urban Outfitters will host a special customer pre-opening event on 17 September at 5pm featuring live customisation for tailoring and letter embroidery, a pop-up marketplace, live performance from Ireland-born DJ Tara Kumar, and exclusive drinks by local brand Beamish.

Local consumers will also have exclusive access to the viral Urban Outfitters Jogger, The Harri, in a unique colour way limited to Ireland.

Urban Outfitters’ EU president Emma Wisden said: “We have delivered strong growth across Europe over the past couple of years and we are excited to be in a position to keep expanding despite current economic challenges.

“We have always prioritised creating an exceptional in-store experience alongside our standout proprietary brands, curated vintage product, global brands and unique home and lifestyle products.”

The Cork opening follows new store launches this year in Gateshead’s Metrocentre, Freiburg, Bremen, and Milan, with three more European openings expected before the end of the year.

The Cork store will be Urban Outfitters’ 72nd European store, and the second in Ireland, joining a Dublin flagship store.