Urban Outfitters opens second Irish store in Cork's historic former church

Urban Outfitters is continuing its ambitious European expansion plan with the opening of its second Irish store, located in Cork, later this week. This new retail destination further solidifies the brand's presence in a key market, reflecting its ongoing growth across the continent.

The highly anticipated Cork store is situated on St Patrick’s Street, one of the city’s most popular shopping destinations. The premises, a beautifully converted former Methodist church, spans over 5,000 sq ft across two dedicated trading floors. Shoppers will discover a wide array of proprietary brands, including the Urban Outfitters Masterbrand, BDG, iets frans, Kimchi Blue, Loom, and Ayker, all of which are designed in-house at the company's London headquarters.

To celebrate its grand opening, Urban Outfitters will host a special customer pre-opening event on September 17th at 5pm. This celebratory occasion will feature engaging activities such as live customisation for tailoring and letter embroidery, a dynamic pop-up marketplace, and a live performance from Ireland-born DJ Tara Kumar. Exclusive drinks will also be provided by local brand Beamish. Additionally, local consumers will have unique access to the viral Urban Outfitters Jogger, "The Harri," available in a unique colour way limited exclusively to Ireland.

Emma Wisden, Urban Outfitters’ EU President, commented on the strategic importance of this expansion, stating, “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.” Wisden highlighted the brand’s enduring commitment to providing an exceptional in-store experience, alongside its distinct proprietary brands, carefully curated vintage products, a selection of global brands, and unique home and lifestyle offerings.

The Cork opening is part of a broader, vigorous expansion across Europe, following other new store launches this year in Gateshead’s Metrocentre, Freiburg, Bremen, and Milan. The company also anticipates three more European openings before the end of the year. This new Cork location will mark Urban Outfitters’ 72nd European store and its second in Ireland, complementing the existing flagship store in Dublin.