Luxury retailer Brown Thomas is to open a flagship store at Dublin's Dundrum Town Centre.

The store will trade over two levels and be made up of over 63,000 sq ft.

This will replace two levels of the existing House of Fraser outlet in the shopping centre.

Brown Thomas - which is owned by the Weston family - has existing stores in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway.

The House of Fraser department store in Dundrum is Ireland's only offering and is set to cease trading in May.

A spokeswoman said the company is hopeful that many of the current staff will be employed by the new tenant.

She said: “Despite our best efforts over the last 12 months, we have been served notice by our landlords in Dundrum.

"Unfortunately, the landlord has agreed an alternative deal with Brown Thomas.

"As a result, House of Fraser Dundrum will close within the next three months.

"Whilst this announcement is unexpected, we remain committed to the imminent launch of our new Frasers stores, as well as continuing to strengthen the House of Fraser brand throughout the UK and Ireland.

"Our immediate priority now turns to our employees in Dundrum; we remain hopeful that many of them will now be employed by the new tenant."

People carrying a Brown Thomas bag in Dublin city centre | Image: RollingNews.ie

Following a complete refit of the space, the Brown Thomas store will launch in the first half of 2021.

Developer Hammerson says it plans to employ over 400 people when open.

The new store will sell brands including Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss and Kurt Geiger.

Mark Bourgeois is managing director Ireland and UK at Hammerson: “Across our portfolio, we’re proactively shifting the brand mix and repurposing department store space to ensure our destinations are as attractive and engaging as possible.

"We’re really focusing on the world’s leading brands and experiences, and today’s announcement is a great example of that strategy in action, as Brown Thomas is one of Ireland’s most iconic and successful retail brands.

"The investment from Brown Thomas will transform the department store line up at Dundrum, replacing two levels of the existing House of Fraser store, ensuring Dundrum remains the premium destination of choice for both brands and consumers."

Donald McDonald, managing director of Brown Thomas Arnotts, added: “We are delighted to have secured a new enlarged store at Dundrum - one of Ireland’s leading shopping centres.

"We have been looking for a larger space in the centre for a number of years to enable us to deliver a more enhanced customer experience, and in particular, to help grow our successful BT2 business there.”

“Brown Thomas Dundrum will reflect the considerable investment we’ve made in recent years to make our stores and online platforms exciting and inspiring destinations for our customers, who can expect unrivalled product ranges and innovative new retail and digitally-enabled concepts at Dundrum once opened."