Flannels: Is luxury clothing retailer planning to set up in Dundee?

Flannels, a retailer known for selling luxury brands such as Prada, Christian Louboutin and Tom Ford, could soon be opening in Dundee.

It is understood that two locations within the Overgate Shopping Centre in Dundee are being considered.

Flannels is one of the many brands owned by retail magnate Mike Ashley’s Frasers Group, which acquired the Overgate earlier this year.

One of the units under consideration is Argos on the mall’s upper floor, which will close in March after more than two decades in the centre.

Frasers Group moves at the Overgate

One of the key attractions for Frasers Group in buying the centre is the opportunity to turn the empty Debenhams into a Frasers department store.

Work is currently under way stripping out the multi-level shop which has been empty for three years.

As part of the plans Sports Direct and USC will close separate shops in the Overgate and move into Frasers.

Other Frasers Group brands such as Evans Cycles and GAME – which closed its Murraygate shop in Dundee in January – will also move into the department store.

Dundee’s Overgate Shopping Centre is now owned by Frasers Group, whose majority shareholder is tycoon Mike Ashley.

Around £5.5 million will be spent on the refurbishment ahead of an opening in September.

But, despite being one of Frasers Group’s key brands, Flannels is not part of these plans. It is more likely to come into the centre as an independent store.

A well-placed source said Frasers Group bosses are now weighing up whether to turn the current Sports Direct or the Argos unit into Flannels’ most northerly shop.

Argos might give the impression of being a relatively small unit – but it has a significant amount of warehousing space not visible to the public which could be developed.

Will Dundee be next Flannels location?

Flannels was established in 1976 with a menswear store in Cheshire. It was bought by Frasers Group in 2017 and now has more than 50 stores in the UK.

It offers clothing for men, women and children, operating at the luxury end of the market.

Its website advertises £260 Monclear T-shirts, a £1,300 Prada mini skirt and £330 Stone Island hoodies. Other brands include Givenchy, Boss and Fendi.

There are currently Scottish Flannels shops in Glasgow and Edinburgh.

It is expanding rapidly with new shops opening in Bury, Bradford and Nottingham this year.

Frasers Group did not respond to a request to comment.

Argos confirmed its upcoming closure on Friday. A number of redundancies will be made though some staff will transfer to Sainsbury’s, which purchased Argos in 2016.

The only Dundee branch will be within Sainsbury’s on Tom Johnston Road when the Overgate site closes.

Argos said: “The decision to close a store is never taken lightly and based on a range of factors.”