Store closures for 2009? [Merged]

Biggins

A friend was up in the Pavilions yesterday and mentioned to me that he thought it was strange that Peter Mark's was closed and Fields jewellery there were having a closing down sale. Dunnes Stores in Donaghmede was completely empty no shelves or anything left up (someone else might confirm this).

Even though it's a friend, I still won't take anything these days as gospel unless it's confirmed by others.
I can say that a neighbour of mine runs a big landscaping business and he tells me tonight that its VERY hard to get payments off his customers now for work done.

This and next month are particular going to be worrying - the rest of the year - I fear for the future.

Darragh29

Biggins wrote: »

I can say that a neighbour of mine runs a big landscaping business and he tells me tonight that its VERY hard to get payments off his customers now for work done.

This and next month are particular going to be worrying - the rest of the year - I fear for the future.

It's crazy what is going on out there. I'm chasing invoices of 3K and 3.7K issued to two companies and these companies are turning over around 2-3 million Euro, and they cannot write a cheque for 3K.

One of our customers have recently sent out a letter stating that they will not pay for any goods or service unless the original order was personally signed by the CEO.
I wonder of that means he is now signing orders for paperclips etc :rolleyes:

Kintarō Hattori

Peared wrote: »

What is this.. twenty focking questions?

"I know something you don't nah nah nah-nah nah"

Yep it's pretty silly and childish at this stage.

sunnyside

None of the Dunnes shops appear to have new Spring stock. I've been convinced for ages that Dunnes clothing and household is doing very badly but they probably do most of their business selling food. I think they own the buildings they operate from which would help.

I always used to think jobs in retail were so safe, I don't think any of us could have imagined people would stop shopping.


Show_me_Safety I feel bad for your friend in Awear, keep us updated. Actually it's so true what you said that she'd probably hear about it on the Metro before the actual staff get told by company owners, that's horrible but seems to be true of most businesses.

Darragh29 Can you just go away with the guessing game, it isn't contributing anything to what is otherwise a very informative discussion. There are many shops in the same position as the one you are speculating about.

311

Has dunnes in the iLAC shopping centre started to close down ? only seen the ground floor open and all the lights where off upstairs.

Corruptedmorals

Dunnes just got spring stock in the last few days, yep it was looking dodgy for ages with huge gaps everywhere and there still is gaps but not near as bad. Childrens and Homewares got stock too, I assume Mens did also. It's actually not doing that badly, in my store drapery still takes in 60ish K a day, grocery a bit less than that. I really like the Ilac (drapery) Dunnes and I think loads of people remain faithful to it over Henry Street, but they're just too near and it probably will go. The main problem is the budget allocated to stores for wages etc. Everyone's hours part-time, flexi etc are hovering around the limit, 15 hours for part-time and flexi and 20 for full-time, all Christmas and staff on probation have been let go and they're moving staff around, spreading the problem of being short-staffed. It's ridiculously short-staffed! And they turned off the heating on the shop floor 2 days last week, scabby. So it's all the store budget's fault really, figures are the same this time last year.

311

Any ideas why only the ground floor was open in the ilac centre on Sunday ?
The escellators were turned off aswell and there wasn't any stock on display upstairs (looking at it from outside)

thebman

sunnyside wrote: »

I always used to think jobs in retail were so safe, I don't think any of us could have imagined people would stop shopping.

Well people can't spend what they don't have. They were and now there is a credit crunch so they are mostly just fooked. I can't believe people were borrowing so much to buy things. That was just stupid behavior with their finances.


Can't give information on how I know this but there are a third of jobs being advertised on most jobs sites if even compared to October last year. These are employer advertised job and excludes jobs posted by recruitment agencies.

punchdrunk

looks like the guess store on south anne st is gone

Run_to_da_hills

Looks like Findus in the UK has gone bust.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article5505564.ece

shenanigans1982

brim4brim wrote: »

Can't give information on how I know this but there are a third of jobs being advertised on most jobs sites if even compared to October last year. These are employer advertised job and excludes jobs posted by recruitment agencies.

Did you find out from the creditor of Burger King on O' Connell St?

Darragh29

sunnyside wrote: »

Darragh29 Can you just go away with the guessing game, it isn't contributing anything to what is otherwise a very informative discussion.

I didn't start a guessing game. I posted something here, I said in the original post that I couldn't name the business for the most obvious of reasons and everyone immediately starts trying to guess the name of the business involved.

sunnyside wrote: »

There are many shops in the same position as the one you are speculating about.

I know there are, hence why we are discussing it here...

thebman

shenanigans1982 wrote: »

Did you find out from the creditor of Burger King on O' Connell St?

Ah crap, how did you know? Now he's going to fire me

K-9

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Looks like Findus in the UK has gone bust.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article5505564.ece

Damn, manys the Student dinner was Findus Chicken & Bacon Crispy pancakes.

Corruptedmorals

311 wrote: »

Any ideas why only the ground floor was open in the ilac centre on Sunday ?
The escellators were turned off aswell and there wasn't any stock on display upstairs (looking at it from outside)

Haven't a clue. They can't really permanently close off the top floor..it has childrens and mens as well as home..it's all or nothing really. It might eventually close completely on a Sunday, the Grafton Street Dunnes does this too..time and a half wages etc.

holly1

My hubby has to take a 15% cut in wages,already did that a few years ago when the company was going bad and was beginning to come right and its happened again.At least he still has a job for now anyway,its a very stressful time for everybody,good luck everyone for the future.

lost_soul

I'm guessing Peter Marks.... (it must be the only one not said now)

Ross_Mahon

Jack & Jones in Tallaght had a closing down sale there over the Christmas, I was hoping to get even cheaper clothes coming to the closing day, I was too late, the shops gone now.

Shiny

Didn't see it mentioned but looks like trouble here at Segate in the North

Peter Marks sounds like a good guess to me!

Flesh Gorden

A bit further south - I was having a look around at houses to rent but had a look in the Commercial Property section

found these - just 2 small ones but still worth a mention

1 O'Briens - the rent nearly made my eyes fall out - if you walk a few metres across the road to Princes street (which leads onto Patricks street) rent is half what it is here

I just hope whoever bought that franchise owned the building too or they must be in serious trouble

2 Jeffers Not Surprised - they can't compete - I worked in a guitar shop (not this) for 2 years - the trade prices where more then retail on the net. e.g I was buying packs of strings from the USA at half what the shop was paying its supplier



.

partyatmygaff

I know of a few restaurants in trouble in town.

One restaurant for example i wont say its name but ill tell you its italian and its on dame st. According to someone who i know who works there they only got 8 people all day on a Friday.

For those that dont know what 8 people means in in money it means. €150-€200
:eek: That doesnt even pay the rent let alone Staff, Tax, Electricity, Gas, Rates, Stock.


:eek:
Not gonna close down yet but if it goes on like this it will soon be gone.

Show_me_Safety

sunnyside wrote: »

Show_me_Safety I feel bad for your friend in Awear, keep us updated. Actually it's so true what you said that she'd probably hear about it on the Metro before the actual staff get told by company owners, that's horrible but seems to be true of most businesses.

HR rang them today to see who in the store is on a permanent contract, and who is on temporary. they took 760 euro today.

sunnyside

Corruptedmorals wrote: »

Dunnes ............It's actually not doing that badly, in my store drapery still takes in 60ish K a day, grocery a bit less than that. .

That is a lot of money, didn't know Dunnes clothes were so great that people would be spending that much. I always look in Dunnes but I've never bought loads there, got some good Savida bargains and Twiggy bedclothes in the sales recently.

Shiny wrote: »

Peter Marks sounds like a good guess to me!

I don't go there but the cost of getting hair coloured is way too high so if the recession forces a reduction in hairdressing costs I'll be happy.

Show_me_Safety wrote: »

HR rang them today to see who in the store is on a permanent contract, and who is on temporary. they took 760 euro today.

How can Dunnes be making 60k in a day while Awear make €760 The clothes in Awear are mostly as good as Dunnes and similar prices, I know they don't have mens or childrens but still...Awear launched their website selling to the UK recently and have had items featured in UK magazines so that should be helping them.

OPENROAD

Was reading in todays FT that Morrisons in the UK are planning on creating 5,000 new retailing jobs this year, also Aldi have seen their sales soar by 25% last quarter. Sainsburys and Next have also being doing well. Would appear certain retailers are doing ok by adopting strategy.

Corruptedmorals

sunnyside wrote: »

How can Dunnes be making 60k in a day while Awear make €760 The clothes in Awear are mostly as good as Dunnes and similar prices, I know they don't have mens or childrens but still...Awear launched their website selling to the UK recently and have had items featured in UK magazines so that should be helping them.

That figure includes homewares and the one I work in is a flagship, I don't think Dunnes Ashleaf or wherever are making anywhere near that. I think the A-Wear in question is a very small one, Show_ Me_ Safety said it isn't Grafton Street or Henry Street A-Wear. A few years ago, I remember my friend telling me that the Arcadia shops in Liffey Valley used to compete over who would make 10k in the day..so I'd say your average high-street store would make a bit less than that in a day.

jdivision

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Looks like Findus in the UK has gone bust.
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/consumer_goods/article5505564.ece

Did you even read that? It says a factory that made food for Findus. Not Findus.

junkyard

A fair few filling stations are in trouble that I know of too, the shop side of things aren't bringing in the money and the margins are too tight on the sale of petrol. Things are going to get a lot worse.

311

jdivision wrote: »

Did you even read that? It says a factory that made food for Findus. Not Findus.

Quick Find us ,we're gone.

Biggins

At this juncture, I like to say that its still a continuing disgrace that the vast majority of our TD's are still on their holidays (they have two weeks left to go!).
The ones we are seeing on our tv's are the very few and you can count them on one hand. The rest are still off camera, away from their offices and probably taking it easy.

In a killing month of businesses, its a pure disgrace.

Dave!

Ross_Mahon wrote: »

Jack & Jones in Tallaght had a closing down sale there over the Christmas, I was hoping to get even cheaper clothes coming to the closing day, I was too late, the shops gone now.

Really??? The one beside that (now closed...) Gadget Shop?

They seemed to have a good bit of stock, and not great bargains, a few days ago! :eek: They're gone?

thebman

I was in Liffey Valley at the weekend and the Game there had almost no stock. Queues to the back of the shop still.

I don't see how they can last with none of the latest releases in stock. It really looked like they were going to close down TBH.

pvt.joker

Best Menswear seem to be on the way out also , i assume this is the company darragh29 is reffering to. all their shops have a upto 70% sale on.

Geri Boyle

Most of the January sales are between 50% and 70% off this year. I see alot of stores also have an added 10% 'exchange rate bonus' discount.. I think March will be disastrous for alot of companies. They'l try to get over Christmas, and traditionally January sales are low anyway so if Feb doesnt pick up then March is going to be D day.. Cue boarded up windows and mass emigration- to where though, God only knows!

Darragh29

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/0114/breaking51.htm

Not exactly a store but a big employer here...

Biggins

Blue Belle wrote: »

Most of the January sales are between 50% and 70% off this year. I see alot of stores also have an added 10% 'exchange rate bonus' discount.. I think March will be disastrous for alot of companies. They'l try to get over Christmas, and traditionally January sales are low anyway so if Feb doesnt pick up then March is going to be D day.. Cue boarded up windows and mass emigration- to where though, God only knows!

China? :rolleyes:

Ross_Mahon

Dave! wrote: »

Really??? The one beside that (now closed...) Gadget Shop?

They seemed to have a good bit of stock, and not great bargains, a few days ago! :eek: They're gone?

Yeah i thought the stuff was pretty expensive considering it was closing down, there's a phone shop were the Gadget shop was.

smares

Today on the radio i heard some Zavvi stores are not closing as HMV have bought them over,strange how there still selling there stock off

thebman

smares wrote: »

Today on the radio i heard some Zavvi stores are not closing as HMV have bought them over,strange how there still selling there stock off

They have a lot of debt to settle and maybe HMV don't want their stock.

Slutmonkey57b

Biggins wrote: »

China? :rolleyes:

In China you generally have to work for a living. The Irish aren't used to that anymore.

kpbdublin

A lot of Irish/UK furniture shops will close, partly because of the property bust, but also because their design quality is so poor. Most of the furniture looks like it was designed for a visually illiterate 70-year-old.
Look at the number of Dub reg cars in Ikea in Belfast. Good design and good value still have a future.

Bruce2008

May be mentioned already in previous posts but Sligo is losing the following shops from the retail park out by carraroe - In Store - Two Seasons - Land Of Leather - Toycity - Tile Market - with question marks hanging over one or two more furniture shops...... talking to one supervisor in one of these shops - claimed high rent costs forcing these shops to pull out - the Sligo 'In Store' is the only one closing in Ireland....so I have been told....evidence of High Rents????...if so then shame on the money grabbing owners.... hope you enjoy your earnings...not....

The_Conductor

Bruce2008 wrote: »

May be mentioned already in previous posts but Sligo is losing the following shops from the retail park out by carraroe - In Store - Two Seasons - Land Of Leather - Toycity - Tile Market - with question marks hanging over one or two more furniture shops...... talking to one supervisor in one of these shops - claimed high rent costs forcing these shops to pull out - the Sligo 'In Store' is the only one closing in Ireland....so I have been told....evidence of High Rents????...if so then shame on the money grabbing owners.... hope you enjoy your earnings...not....

Even if it is high rents- which are only one part of the equation- in a lot of cases the owners are in hock to the banks- who are squeezing them for the cash- so its rather simplistic to simply blame the owners. FYI rents in Sligo are far less than they are in many other parts of the country- however you have to ask yourself does Sligo have the population density necessary to support large stores such as these? I'm not fond of treking halfway across the country anymore than anyone else- but a more pertinent question has to be whether a lot of these stores were ever likely to be viable in normal market conditions (never mind a depression)......

Bruce2008

smccarrick wrote: »

Even if it is high rents- which are only one part of the equation- in a lot of cases the owners are in hock to the banks- who are squeezing them for the cash- so its rather simplistic to simply blame the owners. FYI rents in Sligo are far less than they are in many other parts of the country- however you have to ask yourself does Sligo have the population density necessary to support large stores such as these? I'm not fond of treking halfway across the country anymore than anyone else- but a more pertinent question has to be whether a lot of these stores were ever likely to be viable in normal market conditions (never mind a depression)......

It is not Sligo's population density but Sligo's catchmant area which would maintain these large stores...unfortunatly it is the possibility that by refusing tescos and argos permission to base themselves in the carraroe area has in fact removed the attraction to alot of this catchment area to travel to this retail park...instead we have argos in a retail park with one toyshop and tesco still based in a parking nightmare area....surley allowing all these to be based in one retail park could would have benefitted all concerned...mainly the population of this catchment area....???

The_Conductor

Bruce2008 wrote: »

It is not Sligo's population density but Sligo's catchmant area which would maintain these large stores...unfortunatly it is the possibility that by refusing tescos and argos permission to base themselves in the carraroe area has in fact removed the attraction to alot of this catchment area to travel to this retail park...instead we have argos in a retail park with one toyshop and tesco still based in a parking nightmare area....surley allowing all these to be based in one retail park could would have benefitted all concerned...mainly the population of this catchment area....???

If you look at the business models for these companies- this was not a factor in the equation. If you are looking at a true catchment area, in comparison with international norms- you have to go almost as far as Enniskillen/Carrick-on-Shannon-Boyle and off down the N7 and westwards taking in chunks of Mayo. It could have been sold very successfully on this basis- but for the fact that most towns in the region try to have their own retail parks- its a case of too many outlets chasing too few customers. In boom times- there is more than enough to go around- but now with the currency differential with the North and everyone watching their bank balances like hawks- it just isn't working......

A better way of putting this would be the interview which was held recently with Harvey Norman executives about whether they were pulling out of Ireland. They said it was the worst investment they had ever made. When it was suggested to them that a better idea might have been to put a similar number of stores in the London area- which has a far higher population than the whole of Ireland- they thought the idea was crazy- one or two stores would suffice. Yet they put 5 times that number in Ireland and thought they had a viable business model. In the boom times they minted it- but in a slowdown- they are hurting badly.

thebman

smccarrick wrote: »

If you look at the business models for these companies- this was not a factor in the equation. If you are looking at a true catchment area, in comparison with international norms- you have to go almost as far as Enniskillen/Carrick-on-Shannon-Boyle and off down the N7 and westwards taking in chunks of Mayo. It could have been sold very successfully on this basis- but for the fact that most towns in the region try to have their own retail parks- its a case of too many outlets chasing too few customers. In boom times- there is more than enough to go around- but now with the currency differential with the North and everyone watching their bank balances like hawks- it just isn't working......

A better way of putting this would be the interview which was held recently with Harvey Norman executives about whether they were pulling out of Ireland. They said it was the worst investment they had ever made. When it was suggested to them that a better idea might have been to put a similar number of stores in the London area- which has a far higher population than the whole of Ireland- they thought the idea was crazy- one or two stores would suffice. Yet they put 5 times that number in Ireland and thought they had a viable business model. In the boom times they minted it- but in a slowdown- they are hurting badly.

Agree with this completely. I often wondered why stores were opening in every little sh*thole round the country.

I guess they want to ensure their competitors aren't getting more sales in an area due to them being further away from the customer but of course when bad times arrive, this obviously isn't a good idea due to fewer customers and people will now travel for a bargain where as before people just accepted asking price in the nearest store.

I think its obvious they were probably better off not expanding like that if they needed to borrow to do it. Even if they did, this investment won't pay off in a lot of cases I imagine.

Darragh29

brim4brim wrote: »

Agree with this completely. I often wondered why stores were opening in every little sh*thole round the country.

I guess they want to ensure their competitors aren't getting more sales in an area due to them being further away from the customer but of course when bad times arrive, this obviously isn't a good idea due to fewer customers and people will now travel for a bargain where as before people just accepted asking price in the nearest store.

I think its obvious they were probably better off not expanding like that if they needed to borrow to do it. Even if they did, this investment won't pay off in a lot of cases I imagine.

I wouldn't like to be in the situation Harvey Norman is in at the moment, the rent and rates for the aircraft hanger sized buildings they have, in prime location, must be enough to keep them awake at night...

Bruce2008

brim4brim wrote: »

I often wondered why stores were opening in every little sh*thole round the country.

I take it you are not from one of these 'little sh*tholes' round the country...maybe you are from one of the bigger ones....so anyone in these little places are not entitled to be close to some of these shops??? Listen....if they were not making money through the good years then they would not have stayed in these little holes...

As for harvey norman and the'worst decision they ever made'....what a joke...how many years have they been trading here..in profit without a doubt...now sales are down they curse the day they came here....what a load of sh*te...let them go back to where they came from but don't slag off the country they have been feeding off for the last few years....

I still maintain that the retail park in sligo could have been a great success if the major shops were allowed in to attract the population in the area...and the building of the other three or four other retail parks (which are and have been mostly empty from day one) was refused planning or at least limited to different business types.....we would then have had a good quality retail park rather than a lot of empty ones...quality not quantity....

thelordofcheese

Bruce2008 wrote: »

As for harvey norman and the'worst decision they ever made'....what a joke...how many years have they been trading here..in profit without a doubt...now sales are down they curse the day they came here....what a load of sh*te...let them go back to where they came from but don't slag off the country they have been feeding off for the last few years....

Businesses don't usually comment on things being the "worst decision they ever made" without a damn good reason.
Don't throw a strop because their hindsight offends your overactive sense of national pride.

Bruce2008

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Businesses don't usually comment on things being the "worst decision they ever made" without a damn good reason.
Don't throw a strop because their hindsight offends your overactive sense of national pride.

I think it is actually Harvey Norman throwing the strop!!!

I don't here any other business complaining about the 'worst decision they ever made'...at least not in public!!!

And by the way...I did not come here to be judged or commented on because of my view, if you do not agree with my view then reply about the subject....not about me....considering you don't know me or what country I am from I find the comment

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Don't throw a strop because their hindsight offends your overactive sense of national pride.

a bit of an insult...we are here to discuss topics....not try and poke jibes or comments at other members....so please if you have to make a comment about someone then look in the mirror and do it....:D