Published
Apr 3, 2017
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Lululemon launch and beauty lounge set seal on Brown Thomas revamp

Published
Apr 3, 2017

Dublin’s Brown Thomas has completed the final stage of a three-year €24 million investment at its Grafton Street flagship and has launched a new athleisure department, as well as a café and standalone beauty lounge.


Brown Thomas has made a major investment in athleisure



The athleisure launch sees it bringing category pioneer Lululemon to the city, as well as introducing British athletic shoe retailer Offspring, and is part of the retailer’s plan to lure more customers in-store and away from their phone and computer screens.

The refurbishment programme started in 2014 with a revamp of its ground floor space and continued last year with facade upgrades as well as work on categories such as lingerie. It also opened a men’s accessories room. That helped Grafton Street sales rise 15% last year compared to 11% for the Brown Thomas group as a whole.

Managing director Stephen Sealy told local newspapers that the growth of online sales has affected footfall but that the company’s major and ongoing investment ensures that Brown Thomas “continues to be a destination not only for our customers but for brands.”


Brown Thomas has also opened a standalone beauty lounge



The investment in athleisure echoes that of sister company Selfridges in the category as more consumers buy into gym-to-street brands at premium and high-end prices.

But Brown Thomas is not neglecting online and has made major investments in its website in recent periods too with the result that its online sales are one of its growth drivers. It reported 134% growth in online sales in its last set of results, albeit from a low starting point.

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