Strong growth in Ireland is being planned by Dixons Group, the leading British electronic goods retailers, following the opening of six outlets in the Dublin area over the past two years.

Directors, chaired by Sir Stanley Kalms, said yesterday that existing outlets in Ireland made a "positive contribution" to group profits last year and that the number of Irish outlets would be doubled over the next two or three years.

The group expects to open a large Currys superstore selling a wide range of electronic goods and domestic appliances and a smaller PC World selling personal computers in the Liffey Valley shopping centre on the outskirts of Dublin later this year. Together, the two stores are expected to employ around 180 people. Sites for other store openings are being sought in major urban centres.

Depending on the size of new stores, up to 1,000 new jobs will be created through the Irish rollout being planned by Dixons. At present, the group employs around 1,000 people at its existing stores in the Dublin area. These comprise one Currys superstore, one Dixons outlet selling electronic products and four PC World outlets.

Ahead, a Dixons spokeswoman said the group was examining the scope for opening Link shops selling mobile phones as the take-up of mobile phones in the Republic has been trailing British sales trends. Buoyant wages and the strong housing market suggested there could be opportunities in opening more Currys superstores selling electronic goods and domestic appliances, she said.

Disclosure of Irish expansion plans accompanied interim figures detailing 5 per cent growth in profits before exceptional items and tax to £81 million sterling (#114.3 million) on retail sales up 11 per cent at £1.43 billion (#2.02 billion). Gross margins were "slightly lower" in the highly competitive Christmas market.

The interim dividend is 21 per cent higher at 3.50p.