aldi for donegal town ?

overshoot

pennylemon wrote: »

We were supposed to be getting a cinema and a few things there... Very irritating that the only major companies that came into the town are German discount shops in the past ten years!

in fairness we probably could have had some stuff built by now if there wasnt so many objections (from one group in particular especially.... who were always biting off more than they could chew anyway looking at the scale of theirs vs their assets, though i heard mentions of some foreign pension investment fund and it was a decent plan)
the aldi there though could be a good boost to other businesses, in planning the tesco in sligo is held up as a good example, quite central and when people are out of their cars they may be more inclined to visit other shops. super valu is too far away for this effect and there wasnt enough extras to encourage window shopping, people only go there for what they need.

was quite pissed at ABP blocking the mullins change of use by aldi (mainly due to inconsistancy in their decisions... looking at new aldis out of town centres on the road to dublin didnt help) but the hill is the best place for something like it... now if only it had a bit of design work and didnt look like every other aldi! though in fairness, it goes up fast and will probably watertight before the good months ends and be open by christmas.

overshoot

donegal_road wrote: »

Aldi cannot be good for local trade. It will provide some brief emplyment in the construction industry, and some retail positions, but nothing sustainable. Look at how ASDA has affected Strabane and surrounding areas. Small retailers have been squeezed out of the market and have had to close. This is all in line with the Wallmart business model in the US. Move in - undercut local business - force closures - then raise prices when the competition is gone - result!

*ASDA is a subsidiary of Wallmart

-first thing; what i said was to do with location and you picked a shop on its own, surrounded by quite busy roads with the likes of argos for company if you do cross it. i never said those in direct competion were the ones who would benefit and the aldi's location will created some added footfall around the diamond area. kind of useful if you want to boost trade.
-2 what small retailers are there in competiton anyway, the fruit and veg & fish van out the back of the diamond centre and the 3 butchers? they have decent meat but i can really see people leaving their butchers for them if super valu didnt bring them down. especially when they are within 200m so it still a one stop shop as thats well within the range of where people will walk and not get into the car. (500m would be the absolute max for this), the fruit and veg & fish are on the other side of the car park so closer again.
-so that leaves lidl and super valu to deal with the competion, (inter)national retailers, not local and well fit for some competion

donegal_road

well for a start there is Paul's and the Coach House off sales, there is also the Centra out the Hospital Road, the Vivo behind O'Cleary Ave, McIntyre's and Dunlevys both have middling sized shops and Kee's of Laghey have a super-market, although that might be a bit of a stretch. There is also the flower shop on Tir Conaill street (if Aldi start doing flowers like Lidl are), and Sprint educational supplies, if Aldi carry stationary.

Will Aldi rely on local businesses to supply their bread, milk & eggs I wonder?

overshoot

donegal_road wrote: »

well for a start there is Paul's and the Coach House off sales, there is also the Centra out the Hospital Road, the Vivo behind O'Cleary Ave, McIntyre's and Dunlevys both have middling sized shops and Kee's of Laghey have a super-market, although that might be a bit of a stretch. There is also the flower shop on Tir Conaill street (if Aldi start doing flowers like Lidl are), and Sprint educational supplies, if Aldi carry stationary.

Will Aldi rely on local businesses to supply their bread, milk & eggs I wonder?

last i checked aldi dont do similar beer to lidl and there is bugger all price difference to it and bavaria, dutch, would do no harm to stock something other that the usual mainstream piss anyway.
the rest of those stores are convenience shops(bar kees which is a great big spar hardly fully independant either), not where you will be doing your weekly shop anyway, its not the same competition. are you telling me you live off those and avoid lidl and supervalu?
sprint are miles ahead giving their position next to the tech, and id bet a huge chunk on the money is stuff bought straight off by students and the subject books aldi wont carry. marys is cheaper anyway for basic stationary and its still there!

not sure on their exact sourcing but looks like "bread milk and eggs" are at least irish... pretty much just as local as connacht gold who odds are, own your supply of milk;) (remember they own the dairy section of donegal cremeries, daisy aint a donegal gal anymore!)

maybe it will hurt them a bit but i dont see you countering my point of the added footfall and what it could do for lindas, shapla, tonis, elverys, pauls for the papers lidl wont stock!, magees, diamond centre and so on!... the 14 other potential new units too if kelly builds the whole development.
im not pulling this out of my own arse by the way, this comes from a senior planner in ireland who held up tesco in sligo as a big part in generating local footfall and boosting the surrounding area. (and not a numpty planner, he had his head well screwed on, pointed out some of the ****e policeys politicians force through... coughlin was one specifically mentioned, clearly a woman with no clue regarding development anyway!)

donegal_road

overshoot wrote: »

last i checked aldi dont do similar beer to lidl and there is bugger all price difference to it and bavaria, dutch, would do no harm to stock something other that the usual mainstream piss anyway.
the rest of those stores are convenience shops(bar kees which is a great big spar hardly fully independant either), not where you will be doing your weekly shop anyway, its not the same competition. are you telling me you live off those and avoid lidl and supervalu?
sprint are miles ahead giving their position next to the tech, and id bet a huge chunk on the money is stuff bought straight off by students and the subject books aldi wont carry. marys is cheaper anyway for basic stationary and its still there!

not sure on their exact sourcing but looks like "bread milk and eggs" are at least irish... pretty much just as local as connacht gold who odds are, own your supply of milk;) (remember they own the dairy section of donegal cremeries, daisy aint a donegal gal anymore!)

maybe it will hurt them a bit but i dont see you countering my point of the added footfall and what it could do for lindas, shapla, tonis, elverys, pauls for the papers lidl wont stock!, magees, diamond centre and so on!... the 14 other potential new units too if kelly builds the whole development.
im not pulling this out of my own arse by the way, this comes from a senior planner in ireland who held up tesco in sligo as a big part in generating local footfall and boosting the surrounding area. (and not a numpty planner, he had his head well screwed on, pointed out some of the ****e policeys politicians force through... coughlin was one specifically mentioned, clearly a woman with no clue regarding development anyway!)

your joking! what businesses are going to rent those?
I knew that about Connacht Gold alright. I had forgotten that Marys does stationary. Maybe the whole thing will be a huge success, I wish them all the best.

overshoot

have a look at the planning application, even in its reduced form from the original it still goes from the millers hill car park where aldi goes all along the car park and sene lane. this is the second thread on this anyway and iv the links to the planning drawings in the third last post there if you want to look at them
i did say IF kelly builds it but he may be forced to, the parking for his development is situated on the roof of these units, couldnt see the council being impressed at losing 26 spaces and having a supermarket to add pressure on the carpark. i didnt get around to reading the grant conditions though

muffler

overshoot wrote: »

this is the second thread on this anyway

Forgot about this. Ta.

Threads merged.

byte

Aldi development, as of last Sunday.

muffler

byte wrote: »

Aldi development, as of last Sunday.

That's the biggest shelf I ever seen

donegal_road

I took a look at the drawings, it is bigger than I had imagined, it looks impressive. Are the units you mentioned on the second floor? Tescos in Sligo had some businesses located beside the carpark that benefited from the overflow of customers to Tesco, Housewife's Choice greengrocers being one; there is also a furniture & antique shop, I cant think of the name right now I can see how Shapla, Linda's Kitchen and Pier 1 could also gain from Aldi's presence. The 'business closeures around the county' thread made me sceptical. Maybe the rent would be cheaper here compared to the Diamond?

ednwireland

seeing as its going in you would hope (for the sake of businesses round the town) that they would step up there game and try and take advantage of the increased footfall round the town

byte

A wider image, taken today.

Firblog

Aye, they had a small landslide where you can see the stone being put in, wonder what'll happen if it rains heavy for a day...

ednwireland

Firblog wrote: »

Aye, they had a small landslide where you can see the stone being put in, wonder what'll happen if it rains heavy for a day...

might find out tomorrow or thursday

Carrickman

Taking shape big time now nearly all the frame is in did not get a chance to take a photo today maby one of the locals can post one here.

Mint Sauce

This might have already been answered somewhere, but is there still plans to build the 5 or 6 apartments as part of the revised plans across from the tourist office?

The Mary Clarke

Here goes...


A photo from a "Blow In":)

The Mary Clarke

These are the best of a bad lot. They really are throwing it up fast though.:)

overshoot

irish-stew wrote: »

This might have already been answered somewhere, but is there still plans to build the 5 or 6 apartments as part of the revised plans across from the tourist office?

it was on the revised planning application (if it will be built anytime soon is another thing), more like 12 i think and still looks like the render they had up on the ad board

The Mary Clarke wrote: »

These are the best of a bad lot. They really are throwing it up fast though.:)

wouldnt expect anything less from him. he had chainsaws on site within an hour of the ABP grant for the original development only for the recession to put the breaks on

Firblog

Seems to be moving along at a good pace

ednwireland

cant be far off now, parking tarmacced



edit - answered my own question - up on aldi's site now

Monday - Wednesday 9:00am - 8:00pm
Thursday - Friday 9:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday 10:00am - 7:00pm

This store will open on Thursday 29th November 2012

Mint Sauce

ednwireland wrote: »

cant be far off now, parking tarmacced



edit - answered my own question - up on aldi's site now

Monday - Wednesday 9:00am - 8:00pm
Thursday - Friday 9:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 9:00am - 8:00pm
Sunday 10:00am - 7:00pm

This store will open on Thursday 29th November 2012

Drove by it the other day. Was looking well. Although parking looked smaller compared to other aldi stores. Yes I know its built beside a carpark, but aldi ones are usally free.

byte

So will this carpark be free, or part of existing P&D carpark?

If the former, then you can be sure it'll be permanently full as people park and wander off down town I think.

EDIT: Also, it's a bit amusing to see a No Parking sign, in a carpark

overshoot

probably be a time limit on how long you can stay in it for free, but will be mobbed tho by anyone who doesnt work in town. also phase 2... should it ever happen, of the 14 units along the rest of the car park was to have parking on the roof.

and im sure they have to return the 20 something spaces to the council too....

byte

Might as well keep it all Pay Parking so, sure it's only 30c an hour anyway.

Mint Sauce

byte wrote: »

Might as well keep it all Pay Parking so, sure it's only 30c an hour anyway.

Yeah, Donegal town is pretty much for nothing compared to the rest of the west/north-west.

ednwireland

well its open and , well its an aldi

at least i got in and out without having to run away from a wall of mud
and a free bag

Firblog

Thought there was an offer on for business suits there were that many hanging around...:P

overshoot

havnt been in yet... but on the other units, anyone hear there may be a anchor unit nearly sorted? i have penneys in my head but i cant really remember.... im even struggling to remember when i had this conversation, could well have been a dream:pac:

ednwireland

overshoot wrote: »

havnt been in yet... but on the other units, anyone hear there may be a anchor unit nearly sorted? i have penneys in my head but i cant really remember.... im even struggling to remember when i had this conversation, could well have been a dream:pac:

i remember a pennys being mentioned but i think it all fell through, i think there will just be a hole in the ground for a while