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PRIVACY
Retail & Consumer

Belfast businessman on why he decided to bring his online retail shop back to the high street

"The opening has gone phenomenally well so far and everyone seems really happy to see us back."

Paul Craig of The Bureau Belfast(Image: Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

The Bureau was once a hugely popular men's clothing shop, based in the heart of Belfast city centre.

Despite leaving the high street many years ago, it has remained so, thanks to its thriving online offering.

Now the menswear retailer has gone full circle, having recently made a welcome return to the high street in its new home, on the cobbled streets of Belfast's Cathedral Quarter.

It's still owned by Paul Craig and Michael Hamilton and today it's stocking many popular brands such as Engineered Garments, Visvim, Alden, orSlow, Ten C, Tricker's, Needles, Post O'Alls and more.

The business first opened on Wellington Street in 1989 and enjoyed 15 years of strong business before later opening a second outlet on nearby Howard Street, which went on to become the flagship store.

While the company has enjoyed a strong online presence for many years, the decision was then made to move to complete a web offering, based out of Portview Trading Centre on the Newtownards Road.

"We had a rent review followed by the financial crisis of 2008 so it seemed like the right decision at the time given that our online business was so strong," co-owner Paul Craig said.

"When we moved out to Portview we took on a 3,000 sq ft space for our online business, which just went through the roof. We are still mainly an online business but we've always been retailers because that's what Michael and I started out as."