Portlaoise has 'great retail offering' - new Laois jobs as big pet care service confirms opening

Portlaoise's attractiveness as a place to do business has been reinforced in comments from a leading Irish pet care company which has confirmed the opening date for its newest outlet in the Laois county town.

In a statement revealing its official opening date and special events for the launch, Maxi Zoo says its new store in Portlaoise will include state-of-the-art grooming salon and aqua area at the Kyle Centre. It says the the store is expected to have 12 staff and Maxi Zoo is currently recruiting to fill the positions.

Anthony Cremin, Head of Marketing at Maxi Zoo Ireland, spoke about the upcoming store opening in Portlaoise and why the company it is locating in the Laois town.

"After reaching our 30 store milestone in Cork earlier this year, it’s fantastic to once again be in a position to announce another store opening, and new jobs, at Maxi Zoo Ireland. We see the Midlands as a region of expansion for the company, with our Mullingar store a very busy one. Portlaoise has a great retail offering and it’s fantastic to know we’ll soon be part of that, bringing great products and services to pet lovers in Laois,” he said.

The store will open on May 17, but the company says a weekend of celebration is planned in the Portlaoise outlet from Friday, May 24 to mark the expansion into Laois. On Saturday and Sunday, May 25 -  26, families and their four-legged friends can expect a variety of activities at the Kyle Centre branch, including face painting, balloon modellers, a live in-store DJ, giveaways, and goodies.

Maxi Zoo is also giving a 20% discout off everything on Friday, 24. The red carpet will be rolled out for a  ‘Pupparazi and Cat Walk,’ where shoppers can parade their pets and take some photos.

Since its inception in Ballincollig, County Cork in 2006, Maxi Zoo says it has evolved into Ireland's largest specialty pet retailer, offering over 8,000 products for pet owners. With an existing presence in 15 counties, the upcoming opening of the Laois store Maxi Zoo says it has an unwavering commitment to meet the needs of pet lovers throughout Ireland.

The new store brings Maxi Zoo's workforce to over 300 staff in Ireland.

Maxi Zoo says it has been actively engaged in supporting various animal charities across Ireland since its establishment, raising hundreds of thousands of euros through numerous campaigns.

The new Portlaoise outlet is being located in part of the Kyle Centre which was previously occupied by Argos. Dunnes Stores owns the Kyle Centre which opened in 2007. Dunnes is the anchor retailer with, TK Maxx, McDonalds, Insomnia.