North Face brings new blood to Cork's battered Patrick's Street 

High-end footwear store Dune and The North Face amongst the new arrivals to the street

Outdoor clothing and equipment specialists The North Face is the latest kid on the block in this section of St Patrick’s Street, where Eason is due to open a new store in the nearby former Monsoon premises next week. Pictures: Denis Minihane

A dramatic pick-up in occupancy rates should help reverse ailing fortunes in Cork City’s core with the pending arrival of a number of high-profile retailers, including outdoor clothing and equipment specialists The North Face.

The entry of new retail blood to the main street should help offset the damage done by a wave of shop closures during Covid.

The arrival of The North Face will consolidate the retail offering at a key block on St Patrick Street where empty shop fronts had become a feature in recent times. The well-known outdoor brand is set to open at No 39 St Patrick Street on October 20, following confirmation to the Irish Examiner that Tim Deasy, holder of the whole-of-Ireland Timberland franchise, has taken a 10-year-lease on the 7,400 sq ft building, where he will sell The North Face merchandise only.

In further signs of revitalisation, it’s understood that Savills agent Lia Dennehy has secured a new tenant next door, at No 38 St Patrick Street, at the former Vision Express premises. Upmarket footwear chain Dune is to open there, having previously had a concession in Debenhams (formerly Roches Stores). Debenhams, the pandemic’s highest-profile city-centre casualty, has just been put on the market for €20m by agents Cushman & Wakefield.

Eason are fitting out the former Victoria Hotel premises. Picture Denis Minihane.

A few doors down from The North Face outlet, bookseller and stationer Eason is putting the finishing touches to its new 5,000 sq ft premises (formerly Monsoon), at 35-36 St Patrick Street, on the ground floor of the former Victoria Hotel, which was bought by Joe Donnelly five years ago (Savills acted for Mr Donnelly) and significantly upgraded since. The new Eason store is due to open next week, across the street from Eason-owned Dubray Books, which opened in the city late last year.

With The North Face and Dune secured, Eason almost ready to go, and building facades restored, an entire block of St Patrick Street — where No 37 is occupied by jewellery store Pandora — now looks to have a much more secure future, with all the ground-floor units filled or with a commitment to be filled.

The North Face deal, signed just this week — with James Quinlan of Bannon Commercial Properties acting on behalf of Mr Deasy — will see retail on the ground and first floors of No 39, with storage and offices on the second floor, while the third floor will be unused in the short term. Annual rent is at a level less than the €275,000 pa originally quoted. Mr Quinlan said the arrival of a quality outdoor brand was “a good news story for St Patrick Street, and particularly that stretch of street where it is located”.

“It demonstrates that there are retailers out there ready to take prime spots and hopefully that will continue,” Mr Quinlan said. “Moreover, those that are moving in are established retailers who have shown they can sustain a good trade.”

Mr Quinlan is also looking after the nearby Oasis building, at 48/49 St Patrick Street, and has had an offer, he says, adding that it would be premature to release any details.

Debenhams, the pandemic’s highest-profile city-centre casualty, has just been put on the market for €20m by agents Cushman & Wakefield.

The 6,243 sq ft former women’s fashion retail store has been operating as a reduced-price clothing outlet on a short-term occupancy, but there has been interest from fashion and non-fashion retailers in leasing the building on a long-term basis, Mr Quinlan said. Irish Life is the landlord at 48/49, and is also the landlord at No 39, where they invested in the building upgrade.

Bannon also acted for Eason in their move to the centre of St Patrick Street (they were across the road from Debenhams) and Mr Quinlan said the new store “was a nice improvement”.

“The other store (113-115 St Patrick Street) was too big. This is the right size unit in a quality location,” he said.

Meanwhile fashion retailer Flannel, part of the UK-based Fraser Group, is set to move into the old Eason store, a 22,000 sq ft property bought in 2020 by Sports Direct International/House of Fraser owner Mike Ashley, for a reported €6.5m.

Sources say the move may not take place until next year as the same group is currently focusing on its move into the Mahon Point Shopping Centre, where its Sports Direct outlet is already in situ on the upper mall with House of Fraser due to move into the lower mall.

Other signs of revival on St Patrick’s Street include plans by fast-fashion retailer Penneys to significantly expand its premises, having acquired the entire block in which its store is currently located.

Nearby, at the former R Cudmore shop on the corner of St Patrick’s Street and Winthrop Street, ice cream parlour Ginos Gelato is up-and-running, replacing what for 20 years was a mobile phone outlet.

It’s one of the smallest shops on St Patrick’s Street, at under 400 sq ft, but has huge footfall thanks to proximity to Brown Thomas, Penneys, Dunnes Stores, and McDonald’s.