Armani may open in Ireland

Italian luxury retailer Armani may open its first stand-alone store in Ireland. The company is in talks to open at Castlethorn Construction's Dundrum Town Centre in South Dublin. A source has said that Armani is "semi-committed" to the venture. The new shop will not be run as a franchise, but directly by Giorgio Armani's company in Italy.

The new centre will house some of the best names in the fashion business, including Harvey Nichols who will be opening there later in the year. "In terms of names, it's probably the best centre in Ireland," said a source. The Armani Group saw its profitability grow by 23 per cent to EUR89 million (GBP 63.16 million) in the first half of 2004, with revenues rising 5 per cent to EUR644 million.