With a recently appointed CEO and a brand-new store opened this week in Athlone, the well-known Irish retail business Shaws Department Store continues to grow. Presently, Shaws operates 16 stores in the main provincial towns of Ireland and employs almost 1000 people. The most recent store has just opened in the Golden Island Shopping Centre, Athlone. CEO Conrad Dignan became the first non-family Chief Executive when he joined in 2021. His previous experience included Head of Sales for M&S for 25 years. So what makes Shaws one of Ireland’s most iconic retail brands?
The Shaws History
Founded in 1864, the company began as a small drapery shop in Mountmellick, Co. Laois, under the guidance of Henry Shaw and his wife, Annie. As business grew to include stores in Portlaoise and Athy, Shaws was registered as a private limited company in 1934. After William Shaw’s death in 1929, his brother Samuel ran the business, and it was then passed onto his son Mervyn. By the late 1970s, Shaws had added stores in Waterford, Carlow, Roscrea, Fermoy, Limerick, Wexford, Dungarvan, and Carlow. A period of rapid expansion gave birth to the popular slogan ‘Shaws Almost Nationwide’. 2003 to 2008 saw the most rapid expansion of Shaws in its history, with the investment of over €50 million, producing new stores in Wexford, Carlow, Castlebar, Drogheda, and Ballina. In 2013, the old Portlaoise premises moved to their 20,000-square-foot store off James Fintan Lalor Avenue. In 2021, they closed the original Mountmellick store on Parnell Street, where Henry and Annie Shaw ran the small drapery store.
New store opening in Athlone
With the creation of 20 new jobs, the new store opened it’s doors to the public this week in the Golden Island Shopping Centre unit, previously occupied by Argos. According to Conrad Digan, it will have a strong fashion focus and will showcase the best of Shaw’s women’s wear, beauty, lingerie, and children’s wear. This fashion-led concept is a new venture for Shaws. With brands like Mango, Sfera, and Punt Roma, as well as an extensive range of beauty brands including Sculpted, Éstee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, and BPerfect. The store will also feature omnichannel shopping, whereby customers can order online from the wide range of products available right across the Shaws range. The opening of the new store comes shortly after their overhaul of the Carlow store and eight years after they opened a store in Mullingar.
As the company has grown, so too has the depth and range of the products they offer, expanding to include womenswear, menswear, childrenswear, schoolwear, footwear, beauty, electrical appliances, jewellery, home solutions, gifting, and even hairdressing. Being a service-led business, their familiar and friendly staff have always been vital to their success, with many dedicating their entire careers to Shaws. This loyalty and their dedication to customers are key factors in their long-standing success. The family-owned business continues to invest in upgrading its existing stores, modernising its brand, and expanding its online presence.
