Dunnes Stores has confirmed that it will double the number of outlets it operates in Britain to about 20 "in the next few years". A spokesman declined to specify the period involved.

The group will open an outlet in Glasgow this autumn, in addition to a Leeds branch opened last May, he said. These and other British stores will sell a "textile only" product range, unlike the group's Irish outlets, which sell food and textiles. It is thought that Dunnes plans 25 outlets in Britain eventually. The group already operates 81 stores in the Republic, 26 in Northern Ireland and three in Spain.