Arnotts to re-open its revamped outlet on Grafton

Arnotts' Grafton Street store will reopen early next month after a major redevelopment which aims to capture the fashion-conscious youth market.

River Island, the mid-range fashion chain, will stay at ground level but the upper floors will be rebranded as Impulse, Arnotts' own youth focused in-store label. "We'll be appealing to the 15 to 25 age group," says Eddie Shanahan, Group Marketing Director. "This is a fashion-conscious group who shop regularly."

The retail offering at the Grafton Street store has been an oddly mixed one for the past decade. River Island helped the company attract a younger customer when it opened in the early 1990s, but the two upper floors remained pretty much the same, largely reminiscent of the old Arnotts brand before its £70 million (#89m) Henry Street makeover.

There were an old-style lingerie department and a fashion department with a mix of labels which had no obvious target customer. The fit-out was also dated and the layout confusing.

"Impulse is a very tightly focused offering," says Mr Shanahan. "We've seen how it has worked in Henry Street and how popular it is with younger customers; it's a very attractive formula."

High profile international labels such as John Rocha, French Connection, Tommy Hilfiger, and Diesel come under the Impulse retail brand and Arnotts is also developing an Impulse own-label range. "Our own Impulse label will be very high quality. It has to be because it will be on the rails beside such strong international brands."

As an example, he says that the Impulse shoe range will be sourced in Venice, yet as it is an "own brand", the company will be able to make it competitively priced.

No figures are as yet available for the cost of the Grafton Street revamp. A major draw to the redesigned store will be the presence of the Gap label. The high profile chain, which is a major player on the retail scene in cities in the US and in London, has as yet no outlet in Ireland.

There have been periodic rumours that the American chain is set to open here but this has not happened. According to Shanahan, Arnotts made contact with Gap some years ago with a view to bringing in the label. Last year the chain came to Arnotts.

"They saw what we do in terms of merchandising and display with labels such as Calvin Klein and Nautica," he said, "so they knew we would be a good fit."

Impulse at Grafton Street will start by offering the Gap label for women, and by autumn Henry Street will have caught up, offering the men's and women's range as well as accessories. Baby Gap will not be part of the offering due to separate licensing agreement.

In terms of the overall retail environment, Grafton Street is a very different location to Henry Street. According to Mr Shanahan, 78 per cent of people who come to the northside street do so with the express intention of shopping. On the southside street only 46 per cent are intent on shopping; the remainder presumably are there to eat, drink or even browse.

"Impulse is a very tightly focused offering. It's got its own music policy, different merchandising and is supported by highly branded advertising. It dovetails perfectly with River Island."

Once the Henry Street revamp is complete, the company will begin renovating Boyers, Arnotts' much loved but jaded department store on North Earl Street.