Ilac Shopping Centre

What Ilac Shopping Centre does

The Ilac Shopping Centre is a long-established enclosed retail destination in central Dublin, operated by Hammerson and serving as one of the Irish flagships of the UK-listed REIT's UK & Ireland portfolio. The asset has traded continuously since 1981 and is structured as four interconnected malls spanning the block bounded by Parnell Street, Henry Street, Mary Street and Moore Street, directly off O'Connell Street and adjacent to the River Liffey. Its customer proposition is built around a national anchor tenant mix - including Dunnes Stores, Boots, TK Maxx, Foot Locker, JD Sports and Lifestyle Sports - complemented by a long tail of fashion, jewellery, health, beauty and food and beverage operators, with Dublin City Council's Central Library located on the first floor as a public footfall anchor.

The centre generates revenue primarily through multi-year retail leases with anchor and in-line tenants, supplemented by specialty leasing and pop-up licence deals, service charges, and ancillary income from a 1,000+ space Q-Park underground car park. Its go-to-market is fundamentally bricks-and-mortar: a curated mix of retail and F&B, brand activation space, and an active charity and community-hub programme with partners such as Inner City Helping Homeless, Aoibhneas, Focus Ireland and Pieta. A digital marketing layer - including Stripe online payments, Salesforce CRM, Google Maps and YouTube integrations - supports tenant and brand marketing, but the asset does not run a proprietary technology platform.

The business model is therefore classic institutional retail real estate: stable, lease-driven rental cash flows diversified across 100+ tenants, with valuation and returns driven by occupancy, rental tone, and footfall rather than software, transaction fees or licensing royalties. Strategic positioning is defensive-mature: the centre is a retained flagship within a simplifying Hammerson portfolio, with growth reliant on operational optimisation, specialty leasing income and community-led differentiation rather than expansion of the physical footprint.

Name

Ilac Shopping Centre

Legal name

ILAC Shopping Centre

Website

https://ilac.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Ilac Shopping Centre is a Hammerson-owned, four-mall enclosed retail destination in central Dublin that has operated since 1981, serving national anchor tenants (Dunnes Stores, Boots, TK Maxx), a long tail of fashion and F&B brands, and Dublin shoppers, with Dublin City Council's Central Library as a public footfall anchor.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Shopping Centre / Retail Property Management

NAICS

General Merchandise Retailers (455), Food and Beverage Retailers (445), Supermarkets and Other Grocery Retailers (except Convenience Retailers) (44511)

SIC

Retail-Convenience Stores (5412), Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399), Retail-Department Stores (5311), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Department Store–Anchored Multi-Category Retail (Store-in-Store) (CRAGAFAH)

Keywords

• Retail property leasing
• Shopping centre operations
• Commercial real estate
• Retail destination
• Food and beverage leasing

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Tenant Leasing: The centre generates revenue by leasing retail space to a diverse mix of national and international brands including Dunnes Stores, Boots, TK Maxx, Foot Locker, Normal, and independent retailers, as well as food and beverage operators.
2. Food and Beverage Operations: Revenue from F&B tenants including Starbucks, Jump Juice, Auntie Anne's, Piotsa, Silver Leaf, Shake Dog, McDonald's, and others operating within the centre.
3. Parking Services: The Q-Park car park with over 1,000 spaces provides parking revenue with direct lift access into Mary Mall. The centre retains commercial arrangements with Q-Park for this facility.
4. Specialty Leasing and Pop-ups: Short-term pop-up and kiosk opportunities are offered through specialty leasing, providing additional revenue streams from temporary retail activations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ilac Shopping Centre operates a physical retail destination spanning four interconnected malls (Mary Mall, Central Mall, Moore Mall, Parnell Mall) in central Dublin, leasing retail and food and beverage space to national and international brands as well as independent local businesses. The centre also hosts Dublin City Council's Central Library on the first floor and operates a Q-Park car park with over 1,000 spaces, generating revenue through tenant leases, parking, and specialty pop-up leasing.

Product overview

The ILAC Shopping Centre is a physical retail destination with an associated digital platform. The core offering consists of four interconnected shopping malls (Mary Mall, Central Mall, Moore Mall, and Parnell Mall) housing over 100 retail stores including Dunnes Stores, Boots, TK Maxx, Foot Locker, Normal, and various dining options. A unique differentiator is the Dublin City Council Central Library located on the first floor. The ILAC website serves as the digital companion, providing store directories, event information, visitor services (parking via Q-Park, directions), and community updates. The centre also offers a Handsfree Shopping Service for visitor convenience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Retail Tenant Leasing Leasing of retail unit space within four interconnected malls to national and international brands (Dunnes Stores, Boots, TK Maxx, Foot Locker, Normal, Polonez, Lovisa) and independent retailers (Creative Ideas, Suits You, Boston Barbers).
• Food and Beverage Leasing Leasing of food and beverage units to operators ranging from quick-service (Starbucks, McDonald's, Auntie Anne's) to sit-down dining (Silver Leaf, Shake Dog) and specialty (Jump Juice).
• Q-Park Parking Services Car parking facility operated by Q-Park with over 1,000 spaces, Parnell Street entrance (Eircode D01 HW54), 1.9m height restriction, 20 accessible parking bays across all levels, and direct lift access to Mary Mall.
• Specialty Leasing and Pop-up Spaces Short-term pop-up retail and kiosk opportunities for temporary retail activations, plus mall/unit space for community groups, charities, and non-profits for events.
• Handsfree Shopping Service A shopping assistance service allowing visitors to have purchases delivered to a designated collection point, enhancing the shopping experience for visitors.
• ILAC Website The official digital platform of Ilac Shopping Centre providing store directories, event information, parking and directions information, and community updates for visitors.

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• HammersonflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1981Hammerson is the owner and operator of The Ilac Shopping Centre. The centre is proudly owned and operated by Hammerson, a major commercial property company. Hammerson is committed to building a more sustainable future and becoming a carbon neutral business by 2030. Hammerson Group Management Limited is the data controller alongside The Ilac Shopping Centre.
• Dublin City Council (Central Library)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDublin City Council operates the Central Library on the first floor of The Ilac, a vibrant community space open to all. The library includes reading rooms, Music Library, and a free Creative Studio for music, podcasts, and digital stories. The centre works closely with Dublin City Library to host information days and support groups.
• Just Ask Youth Community ProgramminorOthersThe ILAC works with Just Ask Youth Community Program as part of its range of charities that matter to the centre and the communities it serves.
• Blood BikesminorOthersBlood Bikes is one of the ILAC's current and ongoing charity partners, providing emergency medical transport services.
• Irish Cancer SocietyminorOthersThe Irish Cancer Society is one of the ILAC's current and ongoing charity partners, with the centre supporting cancer awareness and fundraising activities.
• St. Francis HospiceminorOthersSt. Francis Hospice is one of the ILAC's current and ongoing charity partners, supporting hospice care and awareness initiatives.
• Dominick Street Community GroupminorOthersThe ILAC works with the Dominick Street community group, including donating hampers every Christmas to local families. The centre also supports local communities with summer projects, Christmas parties, and other events throughout the year.
• Local School (Cuchulainn Heart Challenge)minorOthersThe ILAC proudly partners with a local school in the Cuchulainn Heart Challenge—a Business, Enterprise and Citizenship Programme for Transition Year pupils designed to nurture future business leaders, responsible citizens, and enterprising employees.
• Q-ParkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorQ-Park operates the car park at The Ilac with more than 1,000 spaces and direct lift access into Mary Mall on the ground floor. Entrance is on Parnell Street with Eircode D01 HW54, 1.9m height restriction, and 20 designated accessible parking bays across all levels.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Hammerson plc: Parent company of the Ilac and a major UK/Ireland REIT operating prime shopping centres including Brent Cross and Highcross; comparable as the institutional owner-operator of the asset.
• Intu Properties: UK shopping centre owner-operator with comparable retail real estate asset model, providing a benchmark for valuation and operating metrics.
• Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW): Global prime shopping centre operator and landlord; directly comparable in business model and asset strategy even though it does not own the Ilac.

Direct peers

• Dundrum Town Centre: Major Dublin shopping centre owned by Hammerson with a similar mixed retail and F&B tenant model; directly comparable in scale and market role as a destination Dublin mall.
• Liffey Valley Shopping Centre: Suburban Dublin shopping centre competing for the same retailer relationships and household-shopping trips as the Ilac.
• Stephen's Green Shopping Centre: Central Dublin shopping centre with a comparable mix of fashion, food, and convenience retail competing for the same Dublin shopper.
• Blanchardstown Centre: One of Ireland's largest shopping centres located in north Dublin, offering a comparable multi-anchor retail and dining mix to the Ilac.
• Jervis Shopping Centre: City-centre Dublin shopping centre with a similar footprint and tenant mix to the Ilac, located close to O'Connell Street and the ILAC catchment.

Regional players

• Grafton Street (Dublin): Dublin's premier high-street retail corridor competing with the Ilac for fashion and discretionary spend, though delivered through storefronts rather than a single landlord/centre model.

Others

• Irish Life (Irish Life Investment Managers / Irish Residential Properties REIT): Irish institutional real estate investor and operator active in commercial and retail property; relevant as a comparable capital allocator in the Dublin retail-property market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/ilac_centre
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ilac-shopping-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ilac Shopping Centre