Belfast Telegraph - By Margaret Canning - Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Irish bookseller Eason opens a £1.1m flagship store in Belfast city centre this week after buying it from rival WH Smith.
Eason announced last year that it was acquiring WH Smith's Donegall Place store for an undisclosed sum, revamping it and closing its other, smaller Eason store a few doors down.
Eason managing director Conor Whelan said that it had been in talks with bookseller WH Smith for a number of years before the English retailer agreed to sell the business "for a material sum".
Now Eason has given the old WH Smith premises a major rebranding and overhaul, including a new gift department, a children's books department, an e-store with e-readers and access to Eason's website and a Costa Coffee outlet.
Mr Whelan said: "The new store will be our 12th branch in Northern Ireland and demonstrates our commitment to customers in Belfast city centre and our business in Northern Ireland."
At 19,000 square feet, it is nearly double the size of the Eason at 20 Donegall Place, which shuts this month.
Eason managing director Conor Whelan said that it had been in talks with bookseller WH Smith for a number of years before the English retailer agreed to sell the business "for a material sum".
Now Eason has given the old WH Smith premises a major rebranding and overhaul, including a new gift department, a children's books department, an e-store with e-readers and access to Eason's website and a Costa Coffee outlet.
Mr Whelan said: "The new store will be our 12th branch in Northern Ireland and demonstrates our commitment to customers in Belfast city centre and our business in Northern Ireland."
At 19,000 square feet, it is nearly double the size of the Eason at 20 Donegall Place, which shuts this month.
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