RetailingAll major cities from Shanghai to Stockholm, Malta to Miami and Tokyo to New York have a BoConcept furniture and accessories store. That is, all big cities except Dublin.

That shortcoming is about to change with the planned opening of the first BoConcept outlet in the trendy Beacon South Quarter in Sandyford, Co Dublin.

The full range of distinctive BoConcept products will be available from November in the new franchised store which is to be operated by Barry Rochford who is already a major player in the furniture and accessories business through his highly successful Living stores in South William Street in Dublin and Bray town. The Beacon South Quarter store will be particularly spacious with a floor area of 400sq m (4,305sq ft). The intention is to open three further stores in Ireland over the next five years.

Rochford said yesterday that they had built up a strong partnership with BoConcept over the last five years through their retail stores and apartment fit-out business.

It was the fastest growing interiors brand in the world and, having spent a lot of time searching for a suitable location in Dublin, they were delighted to be opening their first brand store in Beacon South Quarter.

BoConcept has over 350 stores in 47 countries, as well as concessions in major international outlets such as Harrods and Selfridges in London and Stilwerk in Germany. The outlets are generally found in some of the hippest shopping neighbourhoods around the world.

Beacon South Quarter is rapidly becoming Dublin's main destination centre for lifestyle shopping. Other traders there include Diamond Living, McNally Living, Nationwide Tiles and Roche-Bobois. While much of Beacon's business comes from the prosperous south Dublin suburbs, its easy accessibility beside the M50 is already attracting an ever increasing number of shoppers from outside the city.