Big revamp for confident retail house

BRITISH RETAILER House of Fraser is planning a major revamp of its department store in the Dundrum Town Centre, followed by a heavyweight marketing campaign to attract new customers.

It is understood that about 70 new staff will be added to the 12,500 sq m store shortly as a number of new concessions take residence at the Dundrum outlet.

These are expected to include Spanish fashion retailer Mango, Miss Selfridge, Laura Ashley homewares and Tipperary Crystal.

In addition, House of Fraser is planning to open a bar in its menswear section on the ground floor. It will be run by Daragh Heagney, who already operates the department store's busy Cafe Mimo restaurant.

This activity is to be followed up from October 1st with a €1.2 million marketing campaign to promote the store to Irish shoppers.

It's a big spend in an Irish context and is thought to be a higher figure than the retailer spent promoting its opening in 2005, when it spent about €40 million fitting out the shop.

The investment in Dundrum is part of a £150 million upgrade of its chain of stores by House of Fraser, which is owned by Icelandic investment group Baugur. It is seeking to pitch itself at the higher end of the market.

In spite of constant rumours about trading difficulties here and plans to quit this market, House of Fraser is understood to be performing strongly in Dundrum.

Revenue figures have never been released but industry sources estimate that it is generating sales of about €70 million a year.

The retailer recently began opening at 9am, an hour earlier than previously, a signal that business must be brisk.

It also launched a credit card in conjunction with Mastercard. There are even whispers in the property trade that House of Fraser might be on the lookout for a second site in the Republic. Earlier this month House of Fraser said sales at its new store in Belfast were 15 per cent ahead of management expectations.

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