Dublin city council approves Victoria’s Secret overhaul into premium beauty retailer

DUBLIN CITY COUNCIL has given the green light for the transformation of the former Victoria’s Secret flagship store on Grafton Street into a retail space “for a premium beauty retailer”.

This follows the Council concluding that plans by the owner of 28/29 Grafton Street, Eamon Waters’ firm, Huntstown BioEnergy ULC would contribute positively to the vitality and viability of Grafton Street “by bringing a currently vacant premises back into active use, enhancing street animation and commercial activity”.

The seven-page Council planner’s report stated that the Council had no objection to the change of use application and found that the presence of beauty and cosmetics retailers on Grafton Street does not diminish the street’s retail function.

The planning application for the overhaul of the Grafton Street store to make way for “a premium beauty retailer specialising in prestige skincare, cosmetics, fragrance and wellness products”, followed a Victoria’s Secret decision to move from its flagship Irish store to retail units one and two at 40-43 Nassau Street.

In August, Brown Thomas lodged an objection against the Huntstown BioEnergy application with Operations Director at Brown Thomas Arnotts Ltd, Mark Limby, calling on the council to refuse planning permission.

Limby 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.

However, on 11 September, Brown Thomas withdrew its objection with Mr Limby commenting at the time that “following constructive engagement with the developer and clarification regarding the scale and nature of the proposed use, we are now satisfied that our concerns have been addressed”.

He said that Brown Thomas Arnotts now believes the proposal “will make a positive contribution to Grafton Street”.

However, the planner’s report which recommended that planning permission be granted doesn’t record that the objection was withdrawn and instead takes the grounds of objection over the over-concentration of a single retail category on Grafton Street into account when determining the application.

The Council report states in contrast with fashion retail, beauty and cosmetics retailing often relies on in-person customer interaction, product testing, colour matching and personalised advice, which are less readily replicated through online channels.

The report states that as such, these uses continue to contribute to footfall and the vitality and vibrancy of the city centre retail environment.

The report states that accordingly, the presence of beauty and cosmetics retailers on Grafton Street is not considered to diminish the street’s retail function, but rather reflects changing consumer preferences and wider retail trends.

These uses maintain active retail frontage, generate footfall, and contribute positively to the vitality and viability of the street while supporting the occupation of retail units and reducing the potential for vacancy.

The Huntstown Bioenergy ULC planning documents do not name the ‘prestige’ cosmetics firm to occupy 28/29 Grafton Street, but it was reported in May that the new occupier is to be luxury beauty brand Space NK, where it plans to relocate from its current, smaller premises at 82 Grafton Street.

The move by the US-owned Space NK to open its flagship Irish store on Grafton Street follows soaring revenues at its Irish business where revenues more than doubled here from (Sterling) £2.86 million to £7.23 million (€8.43 million) in the 12 months to the end of March 2025.