Stores Closing in Sligo **mod warning post #720**

thebuzz

Rumour has it Penneys is closing down temporarily in its current location for refurbishments (new 2 storey shop). They're moving to where Castle Interiors used to be in Castle street in the meantime.

Basq

thebuzz wrote: »

Rumour has it Penneys is closing down temporarily in its current location for refurbishments (new 2 storey shop). They're moving to where Castle Interiors used to be in Castle street in the meantime.

Yeah, been on the cards for a long time now AFAIK.

Mint Sauce

thebuzz wrote: »

Rumour has it Penneys is closing down temporarily in its current location for refurbishments (new 2 storey shop). They're moving to where Castle Interiors used to be in Castle street in the meantime.

Which one was Castle Interiors? The store being fitted out across from Heatons?

thebuzz

Basq wrote: »

Yeah, been on the cards for a long time now AFAIK.

I know its been on the go a while but it's meant to be happening in the next 2/3 weeks.

irish-stew wrote: »

Which one was Castle Interiors? The store being fitted out across from Heatons?

Yeah.

FoxyVixen

thebuzz wrote: »

Rumour has it Penneys is closing down temporarily in its current location for refurbishments (new 2 storey shop). They're moving to where Castle Interiors used to be in Castle street in the meantime.

Heard that too, though the previous rumour to that was Dealz was going in there?

genie

Cost Plus Sofas up at the Retail Park has closed and I was disgusted to see a display by Homebase outside the shop this afternoon. :mad:

magnumlady

The Bagel Bar has a sign saying closed and white paper up at the windows and doors. Feehily's corner shop on Bridge Street has closed.
Inspire in the Quayside has a closing down sale on at the moment, not sure if they are going or re-locating.

artyeva

eh how is that disgusting? on the contrary, it's a clever move i think. they've seen an opportunity to keep a potential customer in the retail park by offering an alternative and not have them spin off up the road somewhere else.

Slidey

Sligo airsoft and indoor archery have closed.

Basq

Any truth behind Feehily's shop behind closed? Strange opening hours, but seems to be have been closed for the past few days.

magnumlady

Basq wrote: »

Any truth behind Feehily's shop behind closed? Strange opening hours, but seems to be have been closed for the past few days.

Yep I posted earlier they've gone. Aparently it was in the Sligo Weekender.

magnumlady

Slidey wrote: »

Sligo airsoft and indoor archery have closed.

That's a real shame, it was a great place.

Basq

magnumlady wrote: »

Yep I posted earlier they've gone. Aparently it was in the Sligo Weekender.

Sorry, only spotted that now. Sad to see them go.. although never understood their bizarre opening hours.

genie

artyeva wrote: »

eh how is that disgusting? on the contrary, it's a clever move i think. they've seen an opportunity to keep a potential customer in the retail park by offering an alternative and not have them spin off up the road somewhere else.

They didn't put up a stand outside any of the other furniture shops on the day they stopped trading and if a potential customer can't see Homebase, and decide whether or not to shop there, on entering the retail park then they really ought to get their eyes tested. :rolleyes: The stand was unnecessary.

For Forks Sake

magnumlady wrote: »

it was in the Sligo Weekender.

I'd be looking for a second opinion before I'd believe anything published in that rag.

artyeva

genie wrote: »

They didn't put up a stand outside any of the other furniture shops on the day they stopped trading and if a potential customer can't see Homebase, and decide whether or not to shop there, on entering the retail park then they really ought to get their eyes tested. :rolleyes: The stand was unnecessary.

nothing to do with anyone's eyesight, it's simple advertising. unecessary towards whom? the cardboard in the windows? fair play to them i say. i'd rather if a customer that drove up to the retail park to buy funiture in cost plus only to find it closed down passed that business to somewhere else in sligo than head to galway/letterkenny/enniskillen. not everyone might realise that homebase sell furniture? maybe they didn't think of it when the other shops closed down? maybe they're deperate for the business? who knows. i still don't see how it's in any way offensive to anyone. :rolleyes:

mountainy man

I think what Homebase has done there is in poor taste, people have lost their jobs, this looks like it was done to gloat. I would be ashamed and embarrassed to work for a company who would act like that.

AllGunsBlazing

Feehilys was the place you went if you were stuck for something at an odd hour. Sad to hear it's gone.

Hobbitfeet

Maybe this has something to do with why homebase advertised http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/retail-and-services/homebase-pretax-losses-fall-to-8m-1.962345
If I worked in homebase I'd hope they were doing everything to keep stores open and people employed

genie

artyeva wrote: »

nothing to do with anyone's eyesight, it's simple advertising. unecessary towards whom? the cardboard in the windows? fair play to them i say. i'd rather if a customer that drove up to the retail park to buy funiture in cost plus only to find it closed down passed that business to somewhere else in sligo than head to galway/letterkenny/enniskillen. not everyone might realise that homebase sell furniture? maybe they didn't think of it when the other shops closed down? maybe they're deperate for the business? who knows. i still don't see how it's in any way offensive to anyone. :rolleyes:

I agree with Mountainy Man. It was in very poor taste to do it on the day the shop stopped trading and more people lost their jobs and I would be very surprised if anyone who shops at the retail park didn't know that Homebase also sells (overpriced) furniture. :rolleyes:

whatswhat

mountainy man wrote: »

I think what Homebase has done there is in poor taste, people have lost their jobs, this looks like it was done to gloat. I would be ashamed and embarrassed to work for a company who would act like that.

I dont think that Homebase did this to gloat at all. The Retail Industry is so fragile at the moment that anyone working in it knows that their company could be next. This in itself creates a situation of desperation to protect their company and the jobs of its own staff. Every opportunity has to be seized to promote and I think that this is all Homebase did. Sadly, there are no furniture places left now on the retail park, so if the statement of Homebase putting out a stand said "Have a look in our store before you drive off and spend your money in another County" then fair play to them in my opinion.

I feel sorry for the staff at Cost Plus Sofas that lost their jobs, having lost mine in the past in similar circumstances, I know how awful it is. Sadly with Jane Norman in town going this week too, this is becoming a testing time in retail and I am sure their will be more casualties along the way. For retailers to stay in business, they are having to evolve fast in a cut throat world in order to keep up and survive. Putting a stand outside a business that has gone, just might help them and harmed no one.

FoxyVixen

Is Jane Norman closing? I didn't hear anything of this.

@magnumlady, I'm nearly certain Inspire is relocating. Thought I saw a note on their door a few weeks back when they started the sale.

magnumlady

FoxyVixen wrote: »

Is Jane Norman closing? I didn't hear anything of this.

@magnumlady, I'm nearly certain Inspire is relocating. Thought I saw a note on their door a few weeks back when they started the sale.

Yes Jane Norman is closing.

How many times has Inspire relocated?? :rolleyes:

sligoface

Feehilys had a lot of business from students during the week but they started closing earlier and lost that business. mccullughs pub has been gone a while, amazing that a pub and shop on such a busy corner can't stay open, Sligo is going to be a ghost town soon at this rate.

Jimmy Garlic

TheQ47 wrote: »

Cash Encounters, the cash for gold, semi-pawn shop place on Castle St (beside the Post Office) seems closed. Shutters down, windows emptied, shop seems to be empty also. Did anyone ever see any customers in there?

No loss. Those places rip desperate people off and give them a fraction of what gold is actually worth.

FoxyVixen

Actually think Inspire is definitely closing magnumlady. Was in earlier today and heard the cashier being asked if they were closing to which they said yes. Didn't see the note on the window I swore was there either.

The bagel shop (? - near entrance to Quayside) is actually re-opening under new management soon. They're re-fitting the place now I think.

Gilmartins shop in Doorly Park area is closed too after 50 yrs trading

sligoface

The Beauty Retreat (think that was the name), near The abbey st car park is closed, was opened by that girl from sligo who won the 250k in deal or no deal.

Pretty sure that cash for gold place is still open, it was a few days ago anyway. They always took everything out of the window when they closed for the day, probly to deter theft. Sadly these type of places will be the ones that stay open in a recession. I never buy from a place like that on principle but even still there are no bargains there, just secondhand stuff they bought for nearly nothing from someone desperate being sold for just barely below what you would pay for it new.

Opening a new business in Sligo is such a huge risk, businesses new and old are going every day. The only new business that seems to have been successful starting up is Street Cart (and I'm glad they are, class food).

Still, it is depressing, I don't want to live in a town where it's nothing but pubs, bookies and takeaways, which is where we are headed.

In fairness, a lot of businesses in town do themselves no favors, having bad customer service, overpriced items, bad selection etc. Went shopping for runners last week, was in Lifestyle sports, waited for at least ten minutes holding a display shoe trying to get one of two workers attention, they weren't with other customers just moving things around and not even looking up, then when they finally got to me they of course didn't have my size. Went to Elvery's, got helped a bit quicker but again they didn't have my size in the shoes I picked out. Went to Dublin the next day and got amazing service in Foot Locker, helped out straight away by a really knowledgeable salesperson, had my size in three different runners that I liked and I got a second pair for half price so it was well worth the train fare. Plus they are exclusive to that shop so you won't see half the town wearing what you just bought which is what often happens when you buy clothes here. That's the last time I ever shop for runners in Sligo!

I've been trying to do what I think is right and support local shops because the more that close the worse it gets for shoppers and the people who work in the shops, but I'm fed up, I don't see why I should shop here any more when you can't get proper service or a better price or better selection. You wouldn't know how dire the retail situation is in Sligo by most of the shop staff who act like they could care less if they get your custom or not, and you can't get a good price on anything.

another question

sligoface wrote: »

The Beauty Retreat (think that was the name), near The abbey st car park is closed, was opened by that girl from sligo who won the 250k in deal or no deal.

Pretty sure that cash for gold place is still open, it was a few days ago anyway. They always took everything out of the window when they closed for the day, probly to deter theft. Sadly these type of places will be the ones that stay open in a recession. I never buy from a place like that on principle but even still there are no bargains there, just secondhand stuff they bought for nearly nothing from someone desperate being sold for just barely below what you would pay for it new.

Opening a new business in Sligo is such a huge risk, businesses new and old are going every day. The only new business that seems to have been successful starting up is Street Cart (and I'm glad they are, class food).

Still, it is depressing, I don't want to live in a town where it's nothing but pubs, bookies and takeaways, which is where we are headed.

In fairness, a lot of businesses in town do themselves no favors, having bad customer service, overpriced items, bad selection etc. Went shopping for runners last week, was in Lifestyle sports, waited for at least ten minutes holding a display shoe trying to get one of two workers attention, they weren't with other customers just moving things around and not even looking up, then when they finally got to me they of course didn't have my size. Went to Elvery's, got helped a bit quicker but again they didn't have my size in the shoes I picked out. Went to Dublin the next day and got amazing service in Foot Locker, helped out straight away by a really knowledgeable salesperson, had my size in three different runners that I liked and I got a second pair for half price so it was well worth the train fare. Plus they are exclusive to that shop so you won't see half the town wearing what you just bought which is what often happens when you buy clothes here. That's the last time I ever shop for runners in Sligo!

I've been trying to do what I think is right and support local shops because the more that close the worse it gets for shoppers and the people who work in the shops, but I'm fed up, I don't see why I should shop here any more when you can't get proper service or a better price or better selection. You wouldn't know how dire the retail situation is in Sligo by most of the shop staff who act like they could care less if they get your custom or not, and you can't get a good price on anything.

Due to the recession though, many stores, particularly high street chain stores don't seem to have a plentiful supply of stock and this seems to be because the companies themselves aren't buying as much as they used to and unfortunately as a result the majority of stock goes to the city-based stores in Dublin, Cork, Galway etc where it has a much better chance of selling before going into sale.

As for price, again it's the same thing, if you go into high street branded stores the staff can do nothing for you on price. Apart from the likes of Harvey Norman and sofa places who give their staff a working discount to use with customers as it's part of the experience of what they are buying but I would be almost sure in saying that this discount service is already integrated into the price of the original product to ensure they are not losing out.

Staff in Sligo aren't that bad in my opinion, some are worse than others. I'm not a big fan of being harassed by an over-enthusiastic sales assistant e.g. Holland & Barrett when I go into a shop but it doesn't mean that I want to be ignored either such as a similar experience I had in Lifestyle.

another question

I would be interested to know what peoples experience has been (good or bad) in named Sligo stores.

Radharc na Sleibhte

Had the same issue trying to buy a TV in Currys a few weeks ago:

Can I have that one?

That's not in stock.

Can I have the display model.

No, you can have this other model.

No thanks, ill have a look around.

Ok, I found another one I want.

That's not in stock.....

(and repeat, until I gave up and went elsewhere)