By Fiona Frawley

Huge news for anyone who simply lives for a browse of the homewares and pj sections in a Big Dunnes.

Over the various lockdowns, a trip to Dunnes was akin to a holiday in the Maldives. Luxurious, always surprising - a break away from the ordinary. Over the last few years, the addition of a boujie makeup section, a Sheridans cheese counter and enhanced deli options have seriously contributed to Dunnes's glam appeal, and there are members of the Lovin team who would consider a trip to Dunnes Cornelscourt to be a perfectly valid date option for Saturday night, myself included. If you're a fan of a cheeky Dunnes visit yourself, you may be interested to hear they're opening a new branch at Dundrum Town Centre, on the second and third floors of the former House of Fraser. According to the Irish Times, Dunnes has signed a 12-year lease and will pay a rent of €2.07 million per year following the expiry of an agreed rent-free period, which market sources estimate to be in the region of 24 months. The new store will comprise of 40,000sq ft of retail space and a further 14,000sq ft of back-of-house space. Penneys had originally intended to move into the space, which is significantly larger than the unit they currently occupy in the Town Centre. Dunnes Stores will be neighbours to Brown Thomas, who opened in the ground floor and basement space preciously occupied by House of Fraser in February of this year. The opening date for the Dundrum branch of Dunnes is yet to be confirmed.