The value retailer, which was bought by Duke Street Capital for£68.5 million in December, will add up to 10 stores to its two existing outlets in the province over the next three years.
Chief executive George Foster said it will target smaller towns. “It suits us all round because the towns are generally smaller and much of Northern Ireland is rural,” he said.
He added that the expansion might be achieved more quickly if the right sites become available.
“There are certainly some good deals out there on property at the moment,” he said, adding that he was paying between£5 and£10 per sq ft for shops in non-prime locations.
Foster revealed that Original Factory Shop is considering launching into the Republic of Ireland. “We’ll definitely look at that,” he said.
He added that it was mulling the launch of a transactional web site in the UK. At present, Original Factory only has a marketing presence online.
Foster was bullish about Original Factory Shop’s trading. He said: “Considering how tough the market is at the moment, we do seem to be getting our share.”
The retailer has 85 stores in the UK, but plans to grow its estate to up to 280 outlets, according to Foster.
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