Is Ennis turning into a ghost town?

Battleflag

CptSternn wrote: »

Dunno if there are any other musicians out there but ye saw Buskers also closed like last week? There is no place in Clare that works audio systems on or rents out gig equipment now.

Don't know how he managed to stay open for so long anyway, his prices were ridiuclous

poppyvally

maiden wrote: »

All Bar One in Abbey St just announced they are closing too, on their fb page!

I saw that! & they have a closing down sale. Probably trying to get rid of stock

Palmach

Shapey Fiend wrote: »

I'm kind of with Palmach even if he didn't argue his point very tactfully.

Thanks for that. On a normal message board with a less self important moderator there would no problem.

There are a ton of really good independent businesses in Ennis that provide stuff at a good price with friendly service. Of course there are others that don't but with so much variety there at the moment it's easy to pick and choose if you're prepared to walk about a bit and check things out.

Correct. On top of comparable value to online there is the human reaction one gets when shopping. The chats with other people the use of all senses when out and about.

I bet you more people would just start doing all their shopping in Lidl or Aldi and forgo the town altogether. .

Who of course should be obliged to charge for parking.

christmas2012

Peoples wages and welfare has been cut,and nothings been done to reduce the prices in shops as one boards.ie member pointed out.
Rents are still too high and parking is extortionate on top of the expense of having a car,people now gravitate more towards online shopping to get bargains or shopping centres with free parking,as its too expensive.
There are very few people out shopping midweek..Shops close down as a result of not enough money in the country,peoples jobs are still being slashed,and pittance schemes like jobbridge are being set up in mid recession which cost even more tax revenue,taking up what could be paid employment,so it means there are even less jobs out there at the moment.No job,job cuts/welfare cuts..No money no shopping..

CiaranMT

Palmach wrote: »

Who of course should be obliged to charge for parking.

Why?

Insect Overlord

Palmach wrote: »

Thanks for that. On a normal message board with a less self important moderator there would no problem.

You were banned a few months ago for making too many snide remarks about other posters. I'd recommend you learn from that experience before you get banned again. Drop the attitude and stick to the point of the thread.

Palmach

CiaranMT wrote: »

Why?

Why should people get free parking at Lidl and not get it when they want to go to a shop in town? Given the laziness of Irish people it puts town centre shops at a disadvantage and in the end encourages doughnut type development.

Carazy

Palmach wrote: »

Why should people get free parking at Lidl and not get it when they want to go to a shop in town?

Lidl own the carpark so is entitled to give free parking to its customers.



What Ennis has and why I think it is turning into a ghost town.

Ennis
-Parking - high prices/short term only and limited spaces.
-Shops - Paying high rates/charging high prices/limited varity
Streets - Overcrouded with cars ( Traders don't want pedestrianisation)
-Limited space with smokers standing outside taking up the footpath.
-Rubbish, the leftovers of the previous nights drinkers at the top of O'Connell street and lower Abbey Street and barely scrubbed off the ground.

Shopping development outside of town (eg Cresent)
-Parking Charges - None and not restricted to run through the town to get what you need within a short timeframe.
-Do not have to dodge traffic/can walk freely around.
-Clean,dry and warm.
-No pubs around taking up the limited walking space.


Ennis does not appeal to me to go shopping what so ever. With the likes of the cresent you can stay happily for the entire day without worrying about parking tickets, do your shopping, eat and even go to the cinema. Going to Ennis is just a pain so I travel the 20minutes to the Cresent for the enjoyment of a day around the shops (Household shopping varies between Tesco and Lidl in Ennis).

Yes I can be considered as one of those who is letting Ennis turn into a ghost town and because of all the reasons I mentioned above.

Palmach

Carazy wrote: »

Shopping development outside of town (eg Cresent)
-Parking Charges - None and not restricted to run through the town to get what you need within a short timeframe.
-Do not have to dodge traffic/can walk freely around.
-Clean,dry and warm.
-No pubs around taking up the limited walking space.
.

So you'd be happy to see Ennis and every other town turn into soulless dormitories which is what you'll get. Less choice and a walmart one size fits all retail experience.

Carazy

Palmach wrote: »

So you'd be happy to see Ennis and every other town turn into soulless dormitories which is what you'll get. Less choice and a walmart one size fits all retail experience.

The experience which Ennis provides at the moment is one which I dislike.The rush which I always have with parking is the biggest downfall which can't be helped.
I'd love for O'Connell street to be pedestrianised. Areas like Strand Street in Douglas on the Isle of man still thrive years after it became pedestrain only.
The Bookshops are about the only place in Ennis town which I enjoy going to during the day.

Palmach

Carazy wrote: »

The experience which Ennis provides at the moment is one which I dislike.The rush which I always have with parking is the biggest downfall which can't be helped.
I'd love for O'Connell street to be pedestrianised. Areas like Strand Street in Douglas on the Isle of man still thrive years after it became pedestrain only.
The Bookshops are about the only place in Ennis town which I enjoy going to during the day.

So why don't they pedestrianize it? Ennis is made for it.

CptSternn

Palmach wrote: »

So why don't they pedestrianize it? Ennis is made for it.

Thats the current ongoing battle. Customers and people living in Ennis love the idea. The shop owners hate it and say it will kill their business if they remove the eight parking spaces on O'Connell street.

Much like their other policies, Ennis shop owners have a 'like it or lump it' attitude which is if you don't like the way they do business, they don't give a rats arse and will openly oppose any member of the public who disagrees with them.

Even when the council took on board the dozens of suggestions from the public to try pedestrianisation on a short term basis the shop owners got together to force the council to stop the plan just a day or two after they tried it.

I have no sympathy for any business which is failing and still continues to fight the public when the public is openly and honestly telling them what needs to change.

Reminds me of that TV show Kitchen Nightmares, when failing restaurants refuse to change even when shown what they are doing wrong all because one owner thinks since they started the business they know whats best, and even when their business is sinking and the public along with other experts call for change, they adamantly oppose it.

I say let them all go under and sooner or later new shops with more user friendly owners will replace them. Owners who will do bold new things like listen to their customers.

Palmach

CptSternn wrote: »

I say let them all go under and sooner or later new shops with more user friendly owners will replace them. Owners who will do bold new things like listen to their customers.

That is simply untrue. Ennis has an excellent range of business and in the main are friendly and provide a good quality of product. That people want to throw that away due to laziness beats me. That is why we need stricter planning to stop out of town shopping centres. Ennis did the smart thing by getting Dunnes to put their front door on the main street. If the shops close it might be a while before any one opens and you'll be left with empty shells on the main street.

Carazy

The attitude that comes across from the traders is that they don't want pedestrianisation and they don't want out of town centres either. The people of Ennis and it's surrounds are suffering due to the ennis chamber and traders attitudes to 'the town'.

Can they see that it is not currently working, and what are they doing to stop their own uncertain death?

Ennis Chamber have a website which is not even working and has not for some time. Promoting business??!? No.
It's the laziness of the chamber/traders fault, some hundred traders can't put the blame on the thousands of potential customers which are avoiding their shops due to all the failures of the town.

CptSternn

Palmach wrote: »

That is simply untrue. Ennis has an excellent range of business and in the main are friendly and provide a good quality of product. That people want to throw that away due to laziness beats me. That is why we need stricter planning to stop out of town shopping centres. Ennis did the smart thing by getting Dunnes to put their front door on the main street. If the shops close it might be a while before any one opens and you'll be left with empty shells on the main street.

Laziness is saying you won't shop somewhere if you have to walk more than half a metre from your car to the front door of the shop. Asking people to park in say the Dunnes multistorey and walk down to a pedastrianised street is the opposite of lazy.

If your only reason we should support businesses which show open animosity towards the public, charges higher prices, and offer less selection is so our town won't have empty shop fronts, I don't see that as a very good argument towards helping any of those traders.

Palmach

CptSternn wrote: »

.
If your only reason we should support businesses which show open animosity towards the public, charges higher prices, and offer less selection is so our town won't have empty shop fronts, I don't see that as a very good argument towards helping any of those traders.

I have never seen any evidence of the above beyond liveline type whinging.

Patrick 74

Lets face it Ennis sucks for shopping in general.Im from west clare and of course i need to shop for food weekly and maybe once or twice a month I need to shop for extra goods like electronics or clothes....Lets start with food basics,of course that will be done in my local shop,that being milk,bread,papers etc..So then I need to do a general food shop and will have to seek out the best value there is which usually means going to Tesco or Lidl or Dunnes simply because thats where the value is.For me that can be done in Kilrush or Ennis...Im sure most people do the same.For some retarded reason people think that you can be landed in the centre of Ennis by some magical public transport and whisked off again back to your house at your ease and will.Bollocks!! I say and that is the way it will remain for the majority of clare people for as long as we live. Doesnt matter what urban or non urban planning you do for ****sake....I want music so I download it...If I want to get my photos done I do it online...maybe I want a sofa for my sitting room ...yeah online please because because one I cant tranport it and of course I couldnt be bothered to wreck my car on the ****ty potholed roads that grace this county...Times have changed people,Ireland is over retailed and over priced and people shop online and just like Ennis retail traders we too work form 8 to 5 and have little time to wonder around town on those silly little footpaths(god forbid you should stop and talk to someone without being shoved onto the road).People just want to get home quick if if that means not having to worry about parking and all you need under one roof so be it....Another point is that Ennis sucks for clothes,fact is all I say..Sorry for the rant but my main point is that shopping habits have changed and thats the way it is.... well maybe the exception is petrol stations....busy little ****ers arent they they.

CiaranMT

Palmach wrote: »

Why should people get free parking at Lidl and not get it when they want to go to a shop in town? Given the laziness of Irish people it puts town centre shops at a disadvantage and in the end encourages doughnut type development.

They own the property. They're entitled to provide free parking, or charge through the nose for it, whichever they prefer.

CptSternn

Palmach wrote: »

I have never seen any evidence of the above beyond liveline type whinging.

I have already cited proof of each of these things in this very thread.

I have plenty more to share if you like.

For example, a few years back when we bought our new LCD HDTV I wanted a Philips 42PFL5603D as it is not only rated with some of the highest standards for viewing but also has the lowest energy usage making it the greenest TV on the market (at the time, that might have changed now). No shop in town had them and I had to get one at PC World.

Not only did I get it at PC World I paid €300 less than any comparable model that was being offered at the shops in town, models that didn't even meet the same standards.

Per the open hostility, the local papers reported on this very well when the shop owners got together and went to the council to overturn the trial run of the pedestrianisation of O'Connell street on a four day basis after the first day. That was a programme put in place by the council at the behest of multiple requests from the public. When you go to the council to have them undo something that numerous members of the public called for and do so by shouting down anyone who disagrees with you, it's safe to say that is quite a hostile attitude the traders took against the local customers.

There is a saying in the states, the customer is always right. There of course are times when you cannot apply this rule but the local traders seem to think just the opposite is true and often and quite openly they act out in the opposite fashion and then wonder why the business in town is drying up.

You cannot dictate to your customers in a free market and expect them to stay your customers. People want pedestrianisation. They want a nice area much like Parnell street to stroll down while shopping. They want to be able to walk without having to fight over a 1/3rd metre strip of footpath, without fighting to get around buggies, without having to worry about stepping off a kerb in front of a car. People want a quiet area which is a bit more calm and inviting rather than an all out battle to get through. Eight parking spaces are NOT by any means the single factor keeping the businesses along that stretch open, no matter what they try and claim.

If they made O'Connell into an area like Parnell, it would allow for many restaurant and pub businesses there to set up outside dining and beer gardens. That alone would draw in more patrons. I would love to see more of this in town, but there is no room for it as it stands now with the streets the way they are. If you create a more hospitable environment which allows people to relax and enjoy their experience in town without having to worry about getting knocked down while fighting for the small amount of footpath that is there and give them areas to take a break while out in town, you will see a difference and it will bring customers back to Ennis.

The alternative is to stay the course and do nothing, which is what they have been doing for years and all that has gotten us is more empty shop fronts and a local public which holds disdain for the traders.

I mean, you also would find less people support the idea of larger shopping centres and stores opening outside the centre in Ennis if the town were a more idyllic place to shop. Many people support the idea of a new Tesco+ because frankly they are sick of the current situation and know the traders will continue to be stubborn and refuse to budge, and thanks to their ties to the council nothing will happen, so the only hope is to open a shopping area outside of the town centre which WILL cater to what the public wants.

It's called progress. Either you give the public what they want and engage in forward progressive thinking to promote business, else you go the way of the dinosaur.

There has to date not been one good reason given that O'Connell street and possibly Abbey street should not be pedestrianised, other than the fact the local traders refuse to even entertain the idea for fear of change. Fear seems to be the only common thread which drives business in town and so far is has the same effect it has everywhere else where it is found to be the only major factor - utter failure.

Patrick 74

^^^^^^^^Well said,you only have to look at Galways shops street.Great vibe and comfort up there.

love not hate

I drive from kilrush to limerick every two weeks to do my shopping. Plenty of parking and good selection of shops means the extra few miles are worth it. Free parking at Tesco and dunnes on the ennis road means I don't have to go into the city if I don't want to. Support local shops in kilrush as much as possible but find Ennis very expensive and lacking in choice.

mel.b

love not hate wrote: »

I drive from kilrush to limerick every two weeks to do my shopping. Plenty of parking and good selection of shops means the extra few miles are worth it. Free parking at Tesco and dunnes on the ennis road means I don't have to go into the city if I don't want to. Support local shops in kilrush as much as possible but find Ennis very expensive and lacking in choice.

Why do you drive to Limerick to do your grocery shopping when there is a big tesco in Kilrush? (I'm not having a go at you, just wondering?)

love not hate

I just find that there are always bits and pieces that you need and the choice is better in limerick

Palmach

Patrick 74 wrote: »

.For some retarded reason people think that you can be landed in the centre of Ennis by some magical public transport and whisked off again back to your house at your ease and will.Bollocks!! I say and that is the way it will remain for the majority of clare people for as long as we live. Doesnt matter what urban or non urban planning you do for ****sake....I want music so I download it...If I want to get my photos done I do it online...maybe I want a sofa for my sitting room ...yeah online please because because one I cant tranport it and of course I couldnt be bothered to wreck my car on the ****ty potholed roads that grace this county....

Another rant with no proof offered.

Palmach

mel.b wrote: »

Why do you drive to Limerick to do your grocery shopping when there is a big tesco in Kilrush? (I'm not having a go at you, just wondering?)

Maybe some people have principles and prefer not to give their money to a vast multinational juggernaut that annihilates all retail around them like a retail atom bomb.

Clareman

If you have a problem with a post, report it. Leave the moderating to the mods as well.

Carazy

Palmach wrote: »

Maybe some people have principles and prefer not to give their money to a vast multinational juggernaut that annihilates all retail around them like a retail atom bomb.

When the traders of Ennis go to the effort to entice shoppers to the town then I'm sure lots of people will.

The anti-pedestrian attidude is their own ideal and it's not working. Until they get their head around that and do something about it I and many others will continue to go to large multi nationals.

The whole 'feel sorry' for the traders and stop giving all the money to the large multinationals is all well and good and I agree with it BUT until their is something done to make the shopper want to go to Ennis for the comfort of shopping then the shops in Ennis will lose out. They are just doing nothing to entice shoppers.

dr.fuzzenstein

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=79018828&postcount=120

^^^^Should be printed out, posted in every shopwindow, published in the paper, mailed to the council, the chamber of commercial ruination and handed out as flyers to pedestrians in Ennis as they fight for space on a way to narrow footpath.
The traders have decided to take a stance and not budge from it.
Probably most of them don't know anymore how they arrived at the conclusion that pedestrianization was such a terrible thing or who suggested it was bad in the first place, but now they have dug their heels in and stuck the head in the sand and have committed themselves to just bleating "No!" with the herd.
The problem with that is that you cannot back down from your position if you've gone that far without a perceived loss of face. So they have to stick with it, regardless of sense, reason, public opinion, potential financial gain, the betterment of the town or what even their own brain is trying to tell them.
So it's fingers in ears and "Lalalalalalalaaaaaaaa! I can't hear you!"
But let's face it, Ennis just isn't a very progressive town. Anything too radical, new, unusual, big, loud, colorful or progressive scares the majority of people there witless, panic sets in and the "Down with that sort of thing!" brigade swings into action.
This town doesn't like change, in any direction, so can we arrange for everything to stay exactly like it was around 1990 for the rest of time?
That'd be grand.

Palmach

Carazy wrote: »

When the traders of Ennis go to the effort to entice shoppers to the town then I'm sure lots of people will.

The anti-pedestrian attidude is their own ideal and it's not working. Until they get their head around that and do something about it I and many others will continue to go to large multi nationals.

The whole 'feel sorry' for the traders and stop giving all the money to the large multinationals is all well and good and I agree with it BUT until their is something done to make the shopper want to go to Ennis for the comfort of shopping then the shops in Ennis will lose out. They are just doing nothing to entice shoppers.

I don't "feel sorry" for anyone but I make the effort to support local businesses. I don't expect anyone to pay over the odds for anything but likewise I despise the lazy attitude of heading to Tesco where the prices may or not be better but it means lazy people can park outside the door. All this to send money out of the economy to a giant multinational with all the attendant social, environmental and economic problems that go along with such laziness.

"WAAA! WAAAA! The shops in Ennis are horrible!" Is all I have read. There are some great shops in Ennis with some great people involved. It requires a little of effort to support your local town. Even that is too much for some people on this thread.

For the record I support pedestrianization but it seems most people don't want it. If people put pressure on the council they would change it knowing the Clare political parish pumpers like I do. It seems most people do not.

dr.fuzzenstein

It's really simple.
This is how it should look like:




And this is how it currently is:




You will find me in picture one, but not in picture two.
It seems that the traders do not understand the difference and that will be their downfall.

poppyvally

That you stepping up to the kerb in the front left?

MyKeyG

Palmach wrote: »

I don't "feel sorry" for anyone but I make the effort to support local businesses.

If they're not willing to make an effort with my pocket why the hell should I make one with theirs? It's a simple question so why can't you give us a simple answer?

Could it be you don't have one? I think so.

There's only one shop in Ennis at the moment that as far as I can see is making the effort to meet customers in the middle and that's my local Centra. Their prices are almost if not as good as Dunnes and Tesco.

cynder

Just heard that curleys furniture is gone :eek:

Run_to_da_hills

grindelwald wrote: »

Just heard that curleys furniture is gone :eek:

They have curled up.

Claregirl

More info here in the Galway thread hope no one had anything on deposit

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056673271

maiden

Curley has a lot of houses in town and they were taken or given back to the bank, an asset company have them.

When the estate committee rang the company that looked after his houses they were told they no longer looked after them and gave them the number of the asset management company, who in turn said they wouldnt be letting out our selling his properties in the near future, that was about 2 years ago.

The houses are still empty.

buck65

Renault garage on the Gort Road closed as well I hear!

Clareman

Folks,

Just a reminder that speculating to the status of a business can have a negative (and positive) impact, please do not report on hearsay or speculation and where possible back up your comments with links.

Thanks

poppyvally

Claregirl wrote: »

More info here in the Galway thread hope no one had anything on deposit

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056673271

http://www.clareherald.com/news/151-business-a-finance/4010-fears-for-jobs-at-ennis-furniture-store.html


the place beside Jimmy Brohan (Linnane) has a sale or to let sign on it

buck65

Fair enough point mod, but the news has been reported on the radio at this stage and I heard it from a reputable source before i posted.

Clareman

Wasn't directed at you buck65, just a reminder to everyone, unfortunately I know first hand what a massive impact a business closing can have to a family and I've seen a lot of threads have idle speculation in them that can impact a business, imagine you heard a hotel was closing, no-one would book a wedding there next year, which can impact their business

Mr. G

I haven't been bothered to look through the whole forum, so excuse me if this has been said before.

Ennis is a brilliant town, if your not happy about it suggest ways to fix it. We all should be proud for our town.:o

dr.fuzzenstein

Mr_Grumpy wrote: »

I haven't been bothered to look through the whole forum, so excuse me if this has been said before.

Ennis is a brilliant town, if your not happy about it suggest ways to fix it. We all should be proud for our town.:o

OK, got one.
Was in a similar sized town in Germany where parking was free the first 30 minutes.
Simply go up to the ticketing machine and press the ticket button and it will dispense a ticket for that duration.
Should you wish to stay longer, insert money to do so, which still includes the first half hour.
Simple and brilliant.
Now it has to be said that the long term car park in Glor already offers a similar service, in fact parking is free for the first hour, after which you will need a ticket.
Also brilliant, but maybe this could be extended to some other car parking facilities around town?

CptSternn

Is Toymaster closed? I've been by there three times in the past week and they have not been open. I don't know if I have just been unlucky or if they are gone.

maiden

I was in there yesterday! Toymaster def still open

Clareman

I think you might have quoted the wrong post there maiden

maiden

oooooops!!!! I did, i was on my phone will edit now thanks!!

poppyvally

I see Homeworld, the discount shop in Parnell st. has a "for sale", sign on it, also K.G's hair fashion and Mods & Mini's the childrens clothes shop in O'Connell St. Sadly, Ennis could very well become a ghost town, I dont see any changes for the better in the not too distant future

Clareman

Great news for the area with Roche being retained

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0626/400-jobs-secured-at-roche-plant-in-clare.html

dr.fuzzenstein

This is a pic I posted a while back of O'Connel Street and wouldn't it be lovely if it was for people instead of cars.




Well, it was done (a few weeks ago) and I can only say it was brilliant:



Should be like this every day. I actually found myself wandering around, looking at shops instead of just rushing up and down, trying to get through this street as fast as I could.
According to the traders, the second picture should be completely devoid of people, because they couldn't drive their car up to the door.
Seems pretty alright to me.