Byrne's World of Wonder in receivership?

Dilbert75

I would have visited the Waterford store most and actually it stayed open in parallel with Smyths for quite a few years if I remember correctly. I too found the staff, and some of the supervisors/managers, to be very pleasant. Always thought that particular store was much nicer to visit than Smyths, but more expensive and less stuff. Invariably coming up to Christmas Smyths would be wedged but WoW would not. I do hate to see family-owned and locally-owned businesses fall by the wayside. I know / believe Smyths are Galway-based but they have a near-monopoly now on toys, except for the likes of Tesco, and that's never good.

Zhane

Sorry, I should have clarified my agreement, The Staff were always pleasant etc, it wasnt them. I apologise.

As I've stated, I have worked for them, and all of us had alot of respect for Mr Byrne. It was when the other two took over that it started to go wrong when the recession hit. They expanded too quickly with absolutely no infrastructure. Stock levels of quality toys were always a problem, and over stocked of the cheapest, tackiest rubbish. Over Priced, and as i said previously, had a reputation for being treating staff badly. Stocktake for 12 hours and no break?! Yes I've done it. With a high turn over of staff that they had, people talked.

pablova

i'd agree with you zhane fully in regard to the stock issues, it was very hard to get specifics here in wexford lately especially, i did hear alot about the treatment of staff too, i have known a few of them down the years it seemed that the company was poorly run from the top and staff were not respected enough once mr byrne stood aside by one or two key individuals

McLoughlin

The staff did there best but it was the management was dreadful.

pablova

McLoughlin wrote: »

The staff did there best but it was the management was dreadful.

i'd say the managers had very little say in anything there, by the sounds of it the top brass did all the "managing"
the chap managing there now seems a decent bloke tho don't think he could do alot more tbh

McLoughlin

pablova wrote: »

i'd say the managers had very little say in anything there, by the sounds of it the top brass did all the "managing"
the chap managing there now seems a decent bloke tho don't think he could do alot more tbh

The management that was is charge when I worked there was 2 of the byrnes themselves I seen how they treated me and other staff and the assistant managers.

Zhane

It was very much a Senior Management problem to staff morale. When 'He who shall not smile' wasnt there, the staff shone and it was a lovely place to work. There was like this darkness over the place when he was. Even the customers picked up on it.

pablova

McLoughlin wrote: »

The management that was is charge when I worked there was 2 of the byrnes themselves I seen how they treated me and other staff and the assistant managers.

thats what i heard too, it was one or two of the top lads causing most of the hassle, is it long since you were there?

Judgement Day

trevr wrote: »

Again, you're wrong, he doesn't own any of them anymore...... anyway as you say you'll be wiser after reading tomorrows papers :rolleyes:

Well, I've been through the Guardian this morning and I'm not much the wiser except for the fact that the property empire is also in receivership. No specifics on the amounts owed but no doubt that will come out in due course.

JohnnyBananas

scaller wrote: »

Does Jim Byrne own the whole corner building where the Maple Leaf Chinese restaurant is also the Building where a kids clothes shop is on Court street. And the shop where DV8 on rafter street is.

Jim Byrne definitely built and owned the Rafter Mall (on the corner of Rafter St and Church St). I am unaware of him ever selling it.

Padjo1981

Just walked past Byrns book shop in Enniscorthy, it is open and running as normal today.

St Senan

JohnnyBananas wrote: »

Jim Byrne definitely built and owned the Rafter Mall (on the corner of Rafter St and Church St). I am unaware of him ever selling it.

He did rebuild the old Aidan Doyle premises. He also had a pub in the building for a short while I think it was called the kingfisher. Thats over 20 years ago.

hop2it

scaller wrote: »

He did rebuild the old Aidan Doyle premises. He also had a pub in the building for a short while I think it was called the kingfisher. Thats over 20 years ago.

your right scaller the kingfisher was the name of the pub i remember a few of us 17 year old getting a pint there about 19 years ago and prawn crackers send down from upstairs

Cantona's Collars

hop2it wrote: »

your right scaller the kingfisher was the name of the pub i remember a few of us 17 year old getting a pint there about 19 years ago and prawn crackers send down from upstairs

That brings back memories,I used to drink there when I was a young fella,no need for fake id back then.:)

Saw today that the lotto machines have been removed from O' Learys newsagent.

enniscorthy

zerks wrote: »

Heard the same earlier,feel sorry for the staff and Jim,always found him to be sound.

my old mate........ and my dearest fellow

Darkglasses

Sad to hear about it in trouble. Even though it's obvious the selection of books, magazines and newspapers (as well as the more general shopping experience) was never a patch on the Book Centre in Wexford Town, I'm still sad to see it go down, there was something slightly plucky about it. Would never criticize the staff, always very friendly to me even when people before had spent the typical 5-10 minutes buying 1 scratch card or whatever at a time.

UBd

badly run businesses rack up debts and karma eventually calls on those who deserve it! sympathy for the excellent staff who will hopefully be snapped up buy businesses looking for good people. No sympathy for owners with no manners who probably get to keep their very expensive flashy cars and houses.

maxer68

UBd wrote: »

badly run businesses rack up debts and karma eventually calls on those who deserve it! sympathy for the excellent staff who will hopefully be snapped up buy businesses looking for good people. No sympathy for owners with no manners who probably get to keep their very expensive flashy cars and houses.

typical Irish post - business owners are always bad and drive flash cars.

Have you seen the cars the byrne's family drive???


A business like this - just like many other book & toy stores, simply got hit be the recession which still has not abated.

Its not bad management - its bad timing for growth and unable to roll back quick enough.

Would you say the same for Hughes & Hughes? - Or the old book shop in sligo that closed or the toy store in dawson street.

sundula

Thats unfair, recession has hit many many retailers hard and will continue to do so. Even Easons are now looking to shed 10% of its 1000 employees.

I know Jim Byrne to say hello too and see him around town and one thing he isnt is flash. He was driving an old commerical jeep for years - and not a marque one of those horrible korean things. I gather he drove that till It became uneconomic to repair and replaced it with a second hand vw commerical jeep - hardly what you would call living a champange life style.

Zhane

Hmmmm. I am gonna say that, yes they did have nice cars (a classic merc, 2 qashqui, and another fairly new expensive jeep, only one son had a 02 Mondeo I think)

Although I am sorry the business has gone the way it has, there is a certain level of karma invovled IMO. They arent very nice people.

Judgement Day

I'm sorry for the staff but in my opinion it was a ramshackle operation that grew too big for its own boots. Their handling of job applications was without parallel. :rolleyes:

McLoughlin

The recession isn't to blame for the failure of Byrnes its there own fault they failed to give the customer what the wanted I seen it myself at christmas time the didn't get brand name toys in instead they would get cheap imitation versions that maybe ok for them but parents know there child would be fooled and there book department is laughable look at Alien 8 Bookstore in wexford town they notice what consumers wanted and were not getting and filled a hole in the market the same the the Book Centre does with certain newspapers, magazinesn and books they give the consumer what they want. Byrnes had an attitude that they knew best and people will shop with them regardless and there high turnover of staff goes made them a laughing stock and there treatment of staff caused allot of people not to shop there.

UBd

Maxer.... I doubt i need to answer your post considering the other replies, but since you had the gall to brand my post as typical and question my comments.....

It was not because of the recession otherwise everything would be closed.... Recission and high rent added to the speed of their demise which was always gonna happen because of bad business decisions... giving the top jobs to family members rather than experienced and trained retailers... very bad buying decisions... not being nice to their wonderful staff and suppliers... and plenty more in-house behaviour that wouldn't be found in top retailers.

Yes... I have seen their flash cars.... cars that their staff would never be able to afford without winning lotto! Jim earned his money, fair play to him. He "retired" from the business, gave the good jobs to his offspring, they have flash cars and had huge salaries, now the business is gone. Books still sell, toys still sell, greetings cards still sell, Playstation games etc. still sell, stationery still sells, nursery items still sell..(the bith rate in this small country has gone through the roof during the recession)... albeit in smaller quantities that businesses would have to monitor and react to.


As for Hughes and Hughes or other such businesses... no, i wouldn't say the same. I'm not aware of how they are run but successful businesses in general can adapt to meet the demand placed on them by recession. Badly run businesses and greedy retailers will struggle. Hughes and Hughes still trade and are doing well because an examiner was brought in. I assume he fixed the problems and didn't close it down because it had potential once the problems were sorted.

Sundula: Easons may be shedding some workforce but that is probaly a wise decision made by a company that is reacting to the recession in order to ensure it stays in business for the long run. I believe they are opening 4 new stores this year?

Judgement Day

UBd - Hughes & Hughes is another example of a bookseller loosing the run of themselves and they are closing down for a second time in some places (Dundalk) http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055840173&page=2 Easons too, once a family business run along very tight lines lost the run of themselves in the boom and now look ripe for a takeover by somebody like WH Smiths. The wheel will have turned full circle then as Eason & Son started off when they took over the WH Smith operation back in the 19th century.

Zhane

Hughes and Hughes was again a total mismanaged operation. They plunged millions into a system that just didnt work, with a central warehouse that just ordered stock and took all ordering away from booksellers. It was flawed from the start, it also took ages to get books in because it had to go through the warehouse.

I do hear one of the Byrnes is actually working as a manager in the Opera House now. That was quick.

sundula

UBd wrote: »

Maxer.... I doubt i need to answer your post considering the other replies, but since you had the gall to brand my post as typical and question my comments.....

It was not because of the recession otherwise everything would be closed.... Recission and high rent added to the speed of their demise which was always gonna happen because of bad business decisions... giving the top jobs to family members rather than experienced and trained retailers... very bad buying decisions... not being nice to their wonderful staff and suppliers... and plenty more in-house behaviour that wouldn't be found in top retailers.

Yes... I have seen their flash cars.... cars that their staff would never be able to afford without winning lotto! Jim earned his money, fair play to him. He "retired" from the business, gave the good jobs to his offspring, they have flash cars and had huge salaries, now the business is gone. Books still sell, toys still sell, greetings cards still sell, Playstation games etc. still sell, stationery still sells, nursery items still sell..(the bith rate in this small country has gone through the roof during the recession)... albeit in smaller quantities that businesses would have to monitor and react to.


As for Hughes and Hughes or other such businesses... no, i wouldn't say the same. I'm not aware of how they are run but successful businesses in general can adapt to meet the demand placed on them by recession. Badly run businesses and greedy retailers will struggle. Hughes and Hughes still trade and are doing well because an examiner was brought in. I assume he fixed the problems and didn't close it down because it had potential once the problems were sorted.

Sundula: Easons may be shedding some workforce but that is probaly a wise decision made by a company that is reacting to the recession in order to ensure it stays in business for the long run. I believe they are opening 4 new stores this year?

Why Byrnes collapsed ? I dont know and I doubt you have the exact answer either. I only commented on the 'flashiness' of Jim. The salaries etc. of his children I dont anything about. Its interesting that you believe Easons decision to start cutting staff as been as wise one yet when Byrnes started to scale back and close stores two years ago it was ?

UBd

I don't like Easons cutting jobs either, but along with the fact that they are opening 4 new stores this year, it must be a business decision, made by competent people, to make sure that they don't follow the likes of Byrne's down that rocky road.

2 years ago Byrnes cut jobs, and stores, because they had mismanaged themselves into a hole.... that was their own doing. Big difference.:(

sundula

UBd wrote: »

I don't like Easons cutting jobs either, but along with the fact that they are opening 4 new stores this year, it must be a business decision, made by competent people, to make sure that they don't follow the likes of Byrne's down that rocky road.

2 years ago Byrnes cut jobs, and stores, because they had mismanaged themselves into a hole.... that was their own doing. Big difference.:(

I hope Easons do open new stores, easy to say it but hard to do it. Time will bear it out. I gather your basic point is that Easons are smart business people and the management of Byrnes are idiots and hence they are closed. Thats your view and your entitled to in. I havent seen details to prove how Byrnes business empire collapsed and there was no significant reporting into the debts of the business or if there was I havent seen it. I do think its a bit unfair to brand the family a bunch of idiots who ran the business into the ground.

UBd

Ack! Sure I didn't brand them a "bunch of idiots who ran the business into the ground"............. but i would not completely disagree with the phrase. :P

I have spoken with some of the family and some of their employees and know a lot of what went on. Not everything, but enough to make an informed opinion. That you reap what you sow, what goes around comes around and Karma truly exists!

There is now a fantastic opportunity for whoever takes over to run a very profitable business with careful buying and qualified / experienced management. If only I had the cash myself!

McLoughlin

Anyone that I know that worked for them knows that they ran the business into the ground.