British department store group Harvey Nichols may open its first store in continental Europe in Amsterdam, according to the Parool.

The paper says property investment group Emmes, which is developing the new Marks & Spencer store on the Rokin, is in talks with the Harvey Nichols group about the property next door.

‘We are still in talks but they are heading in the right direction,’ Emmes owner Martin Smit told the Parool.

If all goes according to plan, work will start on demolishing the former Fortis bank on the Rokin early next year. The two British department stores would then open their doors for business in 2015, the Parool states.

The company does not mention a Dutch shop in the future stores section of its website. However, the website address HarveyNichols.nl has been registered in the name of someone working for the Emmes Group and states ‘opening 2016’.

If Harvey Nichols does open in the Netherlands, it will be serious competition for the nearby Bijenkorf, the Parool says. Harvey Nichols focuses on luxury brands and already has branches in Kuwait, Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia.