What: Frasers Group’s premium-to-luxury Frasers department store concept is to open in two former Debenhams units in the Republic of Ireland with a debut in Cork and Kildare in 2022.

Why it is important: With negotiated rent deals, vacant prime locations are a golden opportunity for a business like Frasers that’s in expansion mode.

The higher-end Frasers concept grew out of the firm’s House of Fraser chain that the then-Sports Direct acquired out of administration in 2018.

The move upmarket came as the firm also worked to give its Sports Direct chain a more premium image and added new locations for its high-end Flannels chain.

The company clearly sees potential for it, with the reduction in size of the John Lewis chain and the Debenhams demise adding to that potential in what’s clearly no longer an overcrowded department store market.

Upscale Frasers department stores to open in Ireland