THE Tesco takeover of Quinnsworth and Crazy Prices confirms the trend towards "Euroshopping" in homogenous chainstores which continues apace on Dublin's Grafton Street, where almost half the shops are now owned by foreign companies.
Some of the 71 ground floor businesses trading on the city's premier shopping street are owned by Irish companies, including Irish owned franchises of outlets such as Burger King, Carl Scarpa and the Levi's Store.
When seven banks, building societies and travel shops are included, the number of Irish owned outlets rises to 47 out of 78.
The British owned fashion multiples which have supplanted indigenous shops on the street include Monsoon, Miss Selfridge, Jigsaw, Bally, Laura Ashley, Principles, Wallis, Warehouse, Sock Shop, Tie Rack and the Body Shop.
These outlets, all familiar names from high streets in Britain and elsewhere, are part of the "commercial colonisation" of Grafton Street which has made it increasingly difficult for independent shopkeepers to compete.
The scramble among multiples to gain a foothold in the street has led them to often pay over the odds in rent. This has had a knock on effect on rents along the street.
In 1994 Dublin's best known fishmongers, McConnell's, which had been trading for more than 60 years and Byrne's flower shop which had been in business for 72 years, moved from Grafton Street.
Other speciality family run stores which were part and parcel of the street some 30 years ago included Louis Wine's antiques, Robert Roberts cafe, Combridge's fine art and books and the Eblana bookshop.
Marks and Spencer last year opened a flagship branch on a Grafton Street site formerly occupied by Brown Thomas which transferred across the street to a site formerly occupied by Switzers.
Irish owned shops on the street now include Dunnes Stores, Studio One hi fi, video and camera shop Spectra Photo, Peter Mark, Champion Sports, Golden Discs, Dublin Bookshop, Korky's and Zerep shoe shops and the newly opened Guinness Clothing.
There are a handful of Irish owned newsagents including two Bus Stops, a Card Gallery and The Loft Cafe and newsagents.
Irish owned business which have retained an individual feel include the chemists O'Connell's and Hayes Conyngham and Robinson, the jewellers West, Weir, Gavronski and Field's, women's clothes shops Pia Bang and Air Wave, men's clothes shops F.X. Kelly and Club Tricot, shoe shops Thomas Patrick and Fitzpatricks and Butlers Irish handmade chocolates.