Brown Thomas objects to makeover of Victoria’s Secret shop on Grafton Street

High-end retailer Brown Thomas is objecting to plans to redevelop the Victoria’s Secret outlet on Dublin’s Grafton Street to make way for “a premium beauty retailer”.The owner of 28/29 Grafton Street, businessman Eamon Waters’ Huntstown Bioenergy UC, last month lodged companion planning applications with Dublin City Council for the overhaul of the store, which includes upgrades to the shopfront.This followed the American lingerie brand’s decision to move its flagship Irish store from Grafton Street to retail units 1 and 2 at 40-43 Nassau Street.However, in an objection, operations director at Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd Mark Limby called on the council to refuse planning permission for the overhaul. READ MORELimby told the council that the application, if permitted at the scale proposed, would represent a disproportionate and undue additional concentration of a single retail category – cosmetics and beauty products – on the street contrary to policies in the city council’s scheme of special planning control for the area.The Huntstown planning documents do not name the “prestige” cosmetics firm set to occupy 28/29 Grafton Street, but it was reported in May that the new occupier was to be luxury beauty brand Space NK. It plans to relocate from its current, smaller premises at 82 Grafton Street. Revenues at Space NK more than doubled from £2.86 million (€3.3 million) to £7.23 million in the 12 months to the end of March 2025.In the Brown Thomas objection, Limby contended that the applicant’s survey of existing dedicated cosmetics and beauty retail offerings on Grafton Street was materially understated. Limby said that the survey names only Space NK, Sculpted by Aimee, Kiko Milano and Rituals. He said that it should also include Brown Thomas, which has its own dedicated beauty hall, Boots, Hickey’s Pharmacy, Marks & Spencer and Holland & Barrett.Limby pointed out that Brown Thomas was making the submission in the context of the store being recognised as a landmark business integral to the character of Grafton Street. A decision is due next month.