Local family favourite reaches a national audience

Rea’s Department Store in Bagenalstown is using technology to broaden its customer base

Colin Rea, grandson of the business’s original founders, has been managing the shop since 2012. Rea’s Department Store in Bagenalstown

Some businesses make a town, and Rea’s Department Store is one of them. A fixture of Bagenalstown since 1958, Rea’s has welcomed generations of shoppers for over half a century. Colin Rea, grandson of the business’s original founders, has been managing the shop since 2012, with fond memories of its earlier days.

“You could come in and get a bucket and spade on your way to the beach and then, on the way back, buy ...