Pop-up shop style opportunities are being offered to retailers and food producers to try out their goods on Sligo consumers with the rebranding of the Johnston Court shopping centre in the town.

Tobernalt Holdings, owned by the locally-based Monahan family, are investing €1m in the make-over which will see the centre renamed as The Canopy.

New features of the centre will include 10 to 12 kiosks which will rent at between €350 to €700 per week and from the retailer’s viewpoint their advantage is that, like with pop-up shops, there will be no long-term lease obligations. These bespoke kiosks will enable kiosk retailers to focus on their business rather than worrying about initial fit out.

A spokesman for Tobernalt said: “With a footfall of over two million annually, the developers hope this busy retail space combined with reduced set-up cost will allow young and existing businesses to thrive.”

Recent new lettings have boosted occupancy at the centre to 26 of its 28 units. Tobernalt recently let space to a new Bubble Tea Café and north west-based McConville Orthodontics has committed to opening a 4,500 sqft clinic over two floors in August.

Under works due to begin next month, the building’s façade will be redesigned and the vacant unit at 6 O’Connell Street will become a casual dining area for lease to food producers.

The interior of The Canopy will be ‘greened’ with dramatic planting and full-size trees along the centre’s central arcade.