UK high street fashion giant with 270 stores to open in EU country

A UK high street giant with 270 locations across the country is set to launch its first European store. Clothing retail outlet Matalan has appointed Savills to explore options at specific locations across the country in question. Retail park units were noted as Matalan’s focus as the brand hopes to open its first location in Ireland.

No deal has been struck yet according to Retail Gazette but Matalan is expected to compete with the mid-market fashion and homeware chains already established in Ireland. Should Matalan establish itself in Ireland it will compete with the likes of Penneys and Next. However, breaching the Irish market could prove challenging for the brand as a report from the Global Commercial Real Estate Services found that retail park spots in Ireland remain in high demand.

Some space has been freed up at retail park locations across Ireland following the closure of New Look stores last year and the recent liquidation of EuroGiant, which led to the closure of 77 shops. Some of those locations were at retail parks.

Matalan showed revenues of £985m and pre-tax losses of £67m in its February 2025 accounts.

Matalan was taken over by a group of lenders in 2023 after reporting more than £500m in debt during the coronavirus pandemic. The bidding group, which included Invesco, Man GLG, Napier Park and Tresidor, has since established a turnaround plan for the brand.

The focus is not just on opening stores in Ireland but also in establishing new Matalan high street locations in England and Northern Ireland. Further plans to upgrade existing locations with a £25m investment programme are underway.

In October 2025, the company appointed H&M veteran Henrik Nordvall. Nordvall oversaw revenue growth of £1.1billion during his 17 years at H&M.

Matalan had announced a series of branch closures earlier this year. One of its most recent store closures occurred at South Lakeland Retail Park in Kendal, Cumbria, on April 7.

The closure marks the fourth Matalan UK branch to shut this year following earlier closures in Carlisle, Colne, and Leeds. While the Carlisle and Colne stores closed on March 7, the Leeds store at The Core Shopping Centre shut its doors for good on February 24.