Dunnes Stores shuts shops in Dublin/Dundalk

The closure of its store at Park Street in Dundalk after over 30 years could signal the sale of a number of other small outlets in the provinces

DUNNES STORES has closed two of its Dublin outlets and a third store in Dundalk as part of a review of its trading operations.

The company has vacated its long running store on Dublin’s Grafton Street where it specialised in fashion goods by Savida. At least three international traders, including the entertainment giant Walt Disney Co, are in competition to take over the store which is expected to attract a rent of close to €1 million per year.

The fashion trader Massimo Dutti, part of the Inditex Group which also includes Zara and Bershika, is also thought to be interested in the well located building which has three trading floors with a total retail area of about 650sq m (7,000sq ft).

Dunnes has also ceased trading from its large home furnishing store which forms part of the company’s headquarters at South Great George’s Street in Dublin. It is thought likely that it may now rent the outlet along with five other shops in the same area.

Dunnes operates a highly successful convenience store on the opposite side of South Great George’s Street but has not yet found an alternative use for a shop on Drury Street which traded as a sandwich bar for a short period.

Dunnes’s decision to close a clothes and home furnishings store which has been trading for more than 30 years at Park Street in Dundalk could signal the sale of a number of other small outlets in the provinces.

It has two other supermarkets in Dundalk, one at Ard Easmuinn and the other at The Marshes shopping centre.

Dunnes is also likely to review its operation in Northern Ireland where there is intense competition from leading UK operators in the grocery business.

It is not all cutbacks for Dunnes because the company has just lodged a planning application to redevelop the existing Edward Lee and Co retail premises at 22 to 29 George’s Street in Dún Laoghaire. The corner site is close to the old shopping centre and is bounded by Northumberland Avenue and Dungar Terrace.

The company plans to retain the first and second floor redbrick façades and to demolish the remaining structures and replace them with a three-storey over basement retail store with a total floor area of 5,440sq m (58,555sq ft). The top floor will be used as a restaurant.

Meanwhile Dublin city centre has also lost another high profile trader with the closure of Guess, the UK fashion retailer, which moved into South King Street over two years ago. Businessman Paddy McKillen redeveloped the store and several adjoining premises in recent years.

Adjoining traders include Hackett men’s clothing, Links jewellers and Aveda cosmetics.