Dundrum Town Centre to mark Watches of Switzerland Ireland debut, Gym + Coffee expands at mall

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Aug 31, 2022

As the Watches of Switzerland (WoS) success story continues apace, the luxury timepiece and jewellery retailer is to open its first ever store in Ireland early next year.

The new Tag Heuer boutique at the Hammerson co-owned Dundrum Town Centre forms part of WoS’s expansion plan to open monobrand boutiques across Europe “where customers can book private one-to-one appointments in-store and experience the finest in luxury brand hospitality”. 

The 1,475 sq ft store will be positioned directly opposite the newly-opened Brown Thomas on Level 1 and is expected to open in February 2023.  

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Meanwhile, Hammerson also announced Irish clothing brand Gym+Coffee will increase its footprint with an upsize and relocation adjacent to the North Mall entrance on Level 2. The new 1,918 sq ft flagship store is to open in September.

Gym+Coffee Retail Director, Natalie Conway, said: “Dundrum Town Centre was our very first bricks and mortar retail location and the community there has always been incredibly supportive of us and our Make Life Richer mission. It definitely holds a special place in our brand’s history, and we’re absolutely delighted to be investing further into our Dundrum community with this flagship Clubhouse.”   

The commercial property giant added: “The in-store success and now permanent occupancy of Gym+Coffee underpins a wider Hammerson strategy to identify digitally native brands and offer them an opportunity to grow their business and customer-base through a physical space”. 

It also noted the brand opened another store at Hammerson’s Swords Pavilions earlier this year.

Other Irish brands Hammerson has recently “incubated” at Dundrum Town Centre include Millies, Movrs, 4th ARQ and Folkster. 

The Centre has also attracted a number of other labels over the last 18 months. Brown Thomas opened at the turn of the year, “driving significant footfall” as “high-street favourite” Penneys also confirmed its major relocation and expansion within Dundrum. 
 
Connor Owens, Managing Director, Asset Management (Ireland & Scotland), Hammerson, said: “The arrival of Watches of Switzerland… reinforces Dundrum Town Centre’s position as Ireland’s premier shopping and leisure destination.

"Across our portfolio, premium jewellery brands have performed exceptionally well as people invest in timepieces after saving up during the pandemic and we expect demand to continue. The new Tag Heuer will resonate well with Dundrum customers, and we’re excited to be pioneers, bringing a new concept to Dublin.  We’re also delighted to facilitate Gym + Coffee’s ongoing growth as it becomes the go-to athleisure brand in Ireland.”