Tansky drops into Kildare Village to preview €50m expansion

Kildare Village, the luxury outlets centre that is gearing up for a €50 million expansion, had a royal visit last week. Retail royalty, in any case.

Burt Tansky, the retired former boss of three of America's most iconic luxury retailers – Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman – was in town to check on the plans for Kildare Village's extension, which should break ground before the end of the year with the addition of 35 new boutiques.

Tansky now works with Marvin Traub Associates, an adviser to Kildare Village's owner Value Retail, which has nine outlet centres in Europe.

He told me that, in his experience, “those who can afford the very best” would always shop, no matter what the economic conditions. Lucky them.

Earlier, he had visited Grafton Street to take a look around Brown Thomas, and said he was impressed at the number of shoppers roaming about considering the depth of the recession. And that it was driving rain.

We’re such gluttons for punishment.

Tansky said there was little point in retailers asking the Government for help to fix their industry. “The Government can’t do anything. Only retailers can fix retailing,” he said. Wise words.

Tansky, who is a legend in the US retailing industry, was predictably effusive in his praise for Kildare Village, which he said sent “a message of quality to the Irish market”.

In contrast to the rain of Ireland, he said it is too hot to shop where he lives in Florida. “If you have to go out, you only go out for food,” he said. Just like every man I know.