Sticky problem for Grafton Street retailers
Published: 01 February, 2007
Dublin has a long standing class differentiation between the north and the south of the city - the southern part is posh, but the northern part isn't. Now, Dublin City Council has proved the point by finding that Henry Street has twice as much gum deposited as Grafton Street.
And to make sure things stay that way, Dublin City Council has ruled that in future, downmarket shops will be banned from Grafton Street. Convenience stores and fast-food joints will be encouraged to take their business (and their gum-chewing customers) elsewhere.
However, it looks as if council intervention might be a case of shutting the door after the horse has bolted: Grafton Street is the fourth most expensive street in Europe for retail rents, according to a recent report from Cushman & Wakefield, with prime space now fetching $560 psf.
