Disney animated about Grafton Street

Walt Disney Co plans to open its first Dublin store, in Grafton Street, and two properties have been targeted as possibilities

The entertainment giant Walt Disney Co is planning to open a store in Dublin’s Grafton Street.

A search for a suitably large premises is being conducted by CB Richard Ellis which has targeted two properties likely to become available later this year.

One of these is Dunnes Stores which the owners are expected to make available to rent provided the right trader comes along with an attractive rental package.

The second option relates to another large store where the current tenant is expected to pull out of the street over the coming months.

Caren Leon of CBRE, who represents Disney, said the company would only look at a shop on Grafton Street and ideally it would like to trade out of a building of between 278 and 464sq m (3,000 and 5,000sq ft).

Disney always prefers high street locations in major cities and has flagship stores on Oxford Street in London and Champs Elysee in Paris. It has 104 stores in France, Spain, Italy and Portugal and 56 in the UK.

Dunnes could expect to get a rent of close to €1 million a year if it decides to rent the shop out and move its Savida fashion operation to its nearby department store in the St Stephen’s Green shopping centre.

The shop has been trading since 1994 when it took over the Cassidys group of shops in the city.

A retail expert says that running a small boutique shop on Grafton Street was a “distraction” from their main business of operating as a major supermarket company.

Disney has developed a massive international business selling toys, books, computer software, animation art and collectables for its fans.

A Dublin store would also help to promote Disney’s 11 theme parks around the world including the one in Paris.