Women’s activewear brand Sweaty Betty is to open its first standalone store in Dublin city centre. The company has agreed a deal to occupy number 32-33 South Anne Street, and is expected to open for business this spring.
Sweaty Betty was founded in London in 1998, and has expanded internationally in recent years, helped in part by the growth in popularity of athleisurewear. It has close to 50 stores in the UK, Hong Kong and Singapore, as well as department store concessions in the US, Canada and the Middle East. Its Irish portfolio already includes a concession at Brown Thomas and an outlet store at Kildare Village, which opened in 2021. The company was acquired by US-based clothing manufacturer Wolverine Worldwide for £300 million in 2021.
Sweaty Betty’s new premises on South Anne Street extend to 113sq m (1,216sq ft) and were occupied for many years by the TM Lewin shirt company. More recently the unit was occupied in the run-up to Christmas by toy retailer Cogs The Brain Shop, who have a permanent presence at the nearby St Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre.
Sweaty Betty is understood to have agreed to pay a rent in the region of €225,000 per annum for its new premises. The company was represented in the negotiations by UK-based agent KBW, while the landlord was advised by Eoin Feeney, director of retail at Colliers.
Commenting on the deal, Mr Feeney said: “The arrival of the new Sweaty Betty store is another welcome addition to Dublin city centre, and continues the trend of international retailers targeting the lucrative Irish market as a key location in their expansion plans.”
The UK-headquartered retailer’s decision to locate on South Anne Street follows a series of high-profile openings on Grafton Street and in its environs. Lululemon, Skechers, Lego, Russell & Bromley and Mulberry have all taken stores in the area, while high-end jeweller Paul Sheeran is opening several own-door watch boutiques on the ground-floor level of Hines’ Chatham & King development on Chatham Street.
