Harvey Nichols has closed its branch at Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin on Sunday, September 13, after the store plunged into liquidation. The branch had operated for 21 years, while the iconic British brand itself has been in business for 195 years.
Rescue deal and job losses
More than 30 employees are likely to lose their jobs at the department store after the business failed to reach a rescue deal. The department store chain was rescued from the brink of collapse by Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, which paid about £40million to bring six Harvey Nichols stores into its empire.
Upon the announcement of the rescue deal, Frasers Group had confirmed it would support trading at the Dublin branch, with certain assets. This included stock and fixtures snapped up during the transaction.
Debts and financial struggles
After discussions, liquidators were assigned to the department store as it was revealed the branch was unable to pay its debts. The Dublin store had not recovered from poor trading during the pandemic, written evidence submitted to Ireland's High Court suggests.
Annual rent had cost the company nearly £1million and net liabilities rose to £24.09million by the end of the 2026 financial year. The Dublin store spanned 32,000 sq ft across three floors.
Impact on customers
The store initially became the anchor tenant for the shopping centre when it first launched. Harvey Nichols customers will now have to travel to England or Scotland to shop at the department store in the future.
