British clothing and homewares retailer Matalan announced today it will open three stores in Northern Ireland later this year and create 200 jobs.
The branches will be in Belfast, Craigavon and Portadown.
Retail and marketing director Mr Euan Sutherland said the group's expansion into Northern Ireland represented a huge opportunity for further growth into the Irish market.
"Furthermore, we see no reason why, within the next three years, the Republic of Ireland will not become part of our continued new store opening and expansion programme."
The company has more than 165 stores throughout the Britain.
The new 12,000 square-foot Portadown premises will be Matalan's first local satellite store, marking the start of a trial where smaller and more compact shops are serviced by larger stores nearby.
The Northern Ireland branches will be serviced by larger stores in the northwest of England.
If successful, this will be repeated in other locations throughout Britain.
The company chose Portadown to complement the 35,000 square-foot store due to be built in Craigavon, which is three miles away. The Belfast store, at Boucher Retail Park, will be the largest of the three at 37,000 square feet.