hughes & hughes no more

Run_to_da_hills · 27-02-2010 2:27pm #1

Not exactly Dunlaoghaire Shopping Ctr but almost as good as, saw the death notice on the window today, coffee shop the lot gone. It will be a while before I could see this place being rented out again.

I use to stroll down there quite a bit and have a brouse about. I would guess high rent was a factor also for this place to shut down. Will be missed next Christmas.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2010/0227/1224265276887.html

Cookie_Monster · 27-02-2010 6:38pm

I'm very surprised at this. Was always busy any time I was in there, especially the coffee shop despite the high prices.

Run_to_da_hills · 27-02-2010 7:14pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I'm very surprised at this. Was always busy any time I was in there, especially the coffee shop despite the high prices.

Its like a lot of other chains, it could have been several other branches in prime areas that have dragged the whole company down. Also I have noticed in recent months the amount of special offers, ie 3 for 2, this is a sure sign of sticky stock.

Also like a lot of other high street shops in Dublin, people would come in and brouse, then order on line through the likes of Amazon.

Fratton Fred · 01-03-2010 9:59am

This is a real shame, it was a very good book shop and a lovely place for coffee.

I hear Bestseller are in trouble and are closinbg a few shops. This is the Vero Moda, Jack and Jones and Exit clothing ranges. Losing Vero Moda would be a big blow to Bloomfields

helimachoptor · 01-03-2010 10:38am

Yeah its a real shame, bought a lot of books down there over the last couple of years.

xia · 01-03-2010 9:50pm

Was a weird feeling, passing by them today and knowing they won't open again. Loved that shop. Sometimes just to kill some time but quite often to buy something. Easons is nice but much smaller here so less to choose from...

anneboleyn · 01-03-2010 9:52pm

Desperate times - I guess amazon.com had it's part to play

helimachoptor · 01-03-2010 11:17pm

anneboleyn wrote: »

Desperate times - I guess amazon.com had it's part to play

Agreed but I have probably bough 90% of my books in person. I wonder how the coffee shop was doing.

Cookie_Monster · 01-03-2010 11:27pm

helimachoptor wrote: »

Agreed but I have probably bough 90% of my books in person. I wonder how the coffee shop was doing.

the last 3 times i was in there it was chock a block

gerire · 05-03-2010 6:08pm

helimachoptor wrote: »

AI wonder how the coffee shop was doing.

I was in there a good few times on work business and there was always a decent crowd in the coffee shop.

Think this was one of the better performing H+H's around; Unfortunate for the staff, knew a good few of them through work

Fratton Fred · 05-03-2010 7:38pm

gerire wrote: »

I was in there a good few times on work business and there was always a decent crowd in the coffee shop.

Think this was one of the better performing H+H's around; Unfortunate for the staff, knew a good few of them through work

It might have sold a lot of books, but I bet the rent for that very nice unit was a bomb.

Run_to_da_hills · 13-03-2010 2:52pm

Costa is back open again, there is a barrier leading you uto the stairs preventing you from wandering over to the book section.

me-skywalker · 18-03-2010 12:48am

Is this still open? are the books on sale or anything?

Tabnabs · 18-03-2010 1:44pm

No, bizarrely all the books are on the shelves, but access is to the coffee shop only.

me-skywalker · 19-03-2010 6:57pm

Dyflin wrote: »

No, bizarrely all the books are on the shelves, but access is to the coffee shop only.

that is very stragne might take a trip down tomorrow see if can wrangle a fwe 'bargains' out of them haha

Nulty · 24-03-2010 5:02am

anneboleyn wrote: »

Desperate times - I guess amazon.com had it's part to play

Maybe but the killer for H&H was the rents. No one was willing to lower their rents. All the staff took pay cuts etc but it was never going to be enough.

Run_to_da_hills · 24-03-2010 5:17am

Nulty wrote: »

Maybe but the killer for H&H was the rents. No one was willing to lower their rents. All the staff took pay cuts etc but it was never going to be enough.

What good will a fancy purpose building be to a landlord with no Tennant. Between the shopping center and Georges st vacant buildings are now a dime a dozen. I hope the bank repossess this from the greedy landlord. Cosco's will easily find another home if it has enough loyal customers, it was quite full today.

xia · 04-06-2010 4:02pm

Sorry for reactivating.

But saw today that Eason will open in the Hughes & Hughes shop tomorrow, looks like they haven't changed a bit just put in their books. So we have a nice, new, big Eason then. Wonder what they'll do about the small one up the road.

Tabnabs · 04-06-2010 4:10pm

I wondered the same, so asked yesterday and was told they don't know and the two will be open for the short/medium term

xia · 04-06-2010 5:05pm

Maybe they have to wait til the lease is up. But really wouldn't make sense to have them both.

Cookie_Monster · 04-06-2010 5:08pm

yeah, lease or until they clear out the overstocks they are taking on.

I must ask my mum, one of her friends works there and would know

Eoinp · 21-06-2010 10:16am

I asked this of the folks at Eason HQ and they say they intend to keep both open and there will be no staff changes!

They seemed sincere and I've no reason to doubt them.
Also, while the new store is well suited to books because of the size and range that it can hold, the old one is better suited to mags and stationary a pretty big part of Easons business so it wouldn't be outrageous if they kept both!

Moving the mags down to the new store would reduce volume sales for certain!

Eoin

hughes & hughes no more

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