A NUMBER of new businesses are understood to be considering Wexford town as a potential location for new branches of their stores.

Rumours have been floating for some weeks around the possibility of new retailers in Wexford town, with the likely location believed to be in Crescent Quay – the assumption being that they would hope to capitalise on footfall from the nearby TK Maxx.

Among those rumoured are: River Island, H&M, and Zara though the Chief Executive of Retail Excellence Ireland David Fitzsimons said he could not comment on any individual businesses or proposals.

He explained that the CEO of Wexford Co. Council Tom Enright and Director of Services Tony Larkin had hosted a private business lunch for a number of prominent retailers in the hope of attracting business to the gradually recovering Wexford market.

Mr. Fitzsimons commended both Mr. Enright and Mr. Larkin saying that they had responded to the building of the new road to Dublin by considering it as an opportunity rather than a problem.

“In the same way that people might look at the new road as a way for people to go to Dublin, it has been looked at also as an opportunity to attract people from other counties to Wexford. Both men have been really progressive on their approach to retail in Wexford.”

Chamber CEO Madeleine Quirke has, in the past, stated her belief that by the end of this year, ten new retailers would have opened in Wexford and given recent acquisitions such as TK Maxx, Costa Coffee, Dealz and Mountain Warehouse, any further investments in the town would be very welcome.