1971, Galen Weston bought a share in the company and in 1983 bought the balance of the shares, and Brown Thomas became private again.

In 1989, the company attempted to buy the Switzer Group, which included Switzers in Dublin, along with Cashs of Cork, Moons of Galway and Todds of Limerick from House of Fraser. However, they were outbid by the Ewart Group from Belfast. Ewart subsequently failed, as the deal could