New stores opening in Belfast to get excited for in 2025

2025 is bringing a lot of change to the city and we are looking forward to it.

After the pandemic forced many businesses to close around the city, Belfast is proving itself to be resilient as a number of new stores and businesses opened over the last year.

This trend is set to continue with a number of new stores set to pop up over the next year - from huge US brands to fashion retailers opening their first stores in NI.

Read more: Luxury shoe and accessory brand to open first store in Northern Ireland

Read more: New Primark Home store in Belfast sees work well underway

We have rounded up a number of new shops, cafes and stores we will be seeing in Belfast in 2025 to get excited for:

Primark Home

Belfast is set to get a dedicated Primark Home store in the heart of the city centre.

New posters on the front windows of Fountain House, the temporary site for Primark after the Bank Buildings fire, have appeared over the last number of days reading "There's no place like..." followed by "coming soon".

Belfast Live reached out to Primark after spotting the Fountain House posters, however they are remaining tight-lipped at the moment at what could be to come.

Commenting, a Primark spokesperson said: "We have exciting plans for Fountain House in Belfast and we look forward to sharing more detail very soon."

Krispy Kreme

World-famous doughnut brand Krispy Kreme have confirmed they will be opening their first store in Northern Ireland later this year.

The popular brand announced it will be bringing its made fresh daily, handcrafted doughnuts to Belfast with the opening of a new retail shop in Victoria Square shopping centre.

The brand say the new Belfast launch will be the first of a series of planned openings in Northern Ireland, with more to follow in 2025.

Russell & Bromley

A luxury shoe and accessory brand is set to expand its presence to Northern Ireland for the first time with the opening of a new store.

Russell & Bromley is a footwear and handbag retailer founded in 1873, that operates over 40 stores across the UK.

The brand is set to open its first NI store at 15-19 William Street South, the former Argos store, in the city centre with a job opening for a Store Manager in Belfast suggesting that the store could open to customers in March 2025.

Black Sheep Coffee

Black Sheep Coffee first opened in England in 2013 and is known for serving the first specialty-grade Robusta beans on the market, branding themselves as 'proud innovators' in the coffee industry.

With locations across Dubai, the US and in every corner of the UK, the coffee company is taking up a new home in Belfast city centre.

Signage for Black Sheep Coffee has appeared last year on Chichester Street beside Belfast City Hall at the site of the newly refurbished Pearl Assurance House, formerly known as The Ocean Buildings.

While no opening date has been confirmed, the website says it is "coming soon".

Duck Donuts

Another US donut giant has their sights set on NI.

Duck Donuts, founded in Duck, North Carolina back in 2006, offers "sweet to savoury and everything in between" and prides itself in having "something for everyone".

Plans approved by Belfast City Council show the chain is preparing to open a location in the busy Ormeau Road area of South Belfast.

Duck Donuts is set to take up shop in one of the units on the bottom floor of the Curzon Building, the site of the former Bank of Ireland building.

Vanilla

CastleCourt Shopping Centre is set to welcome a new clothing store later this year.

The Belfast shopping centre has announced that it will become home to Northern Ireland's first stand-alone Vanilla fashion store.

The popular fashion range is currently only available at New Look and its own store is set to open in the Spring.

Knoops

After opening its first Northern Irish location in Victoria Square Shopping Centre, chocolate brand Knoops has its eyes set on a spot near Belfast City Hall.

The Knoops concept is based around its carefully curated percentage menu which offers chocolates to suit every taste and mood.

Customers can choose their chocolate %, milk, and extra flavours like sea salt, orange zest or chilli to be made into a hot chocolate, milkshake or iced drink.

They have submitted plans to open a second store at 5 Wellington Place in the former Virgin Money site beside Tim Hortons.

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