32 year battle to get Marks&Spencer to Limerick

vkid

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I don't really see what's so wonderful about M & S. I usually pop in when I'm in Galway and rarely buy more than some cakes for Mr P.

Not a major fan myself but the one in Galway is utterly woeful imo..

The Sky

I really don't no why people want a M & S, what is so good about it? Really hope it doesn't go ahead in the parkway, sure the plans there are nice but it would kill the already dying city centre, having this outlet in the city would greatly help the city seeing as it is much sought after, it will bring people back into the city! It was such a lovely sight seeing people in the city centre for Riverfest, I honestly thought it was a whole new city!

rainbowdash

The Sky wrote: »

I really don't no why people want a M & S, what is so good about it?

Agree 100%, went in recently and the prices are ridiculous, regular brands like pringles, coke, Cadburys all a silly price.

Their fresh food, own brands and ready meals etc. didn't look any more inviting than Tescos's or Dunnes, yet priced much higher.

Mc Love

The one in Killarney is woeful too, only good one I was in was in Grafton st!

And city is already dead btw - champion sports is meant to be going too

Jofspring

Mc Love wrote: »

The one in Killarney is woeful too, only good one I was in was in Grafton st!

And city is already dead btw - champion sports is meant to be going too

I think Champion is just changing to JD Sports as thats who they have been taken over by.

Poxyshamrock

Jofspring wrote: »

I think Champion is just changing to JD Sports as thats who they have been taken over by.

Yeah, they were supposed to close for a refit before Christmas.

maryk123

I love marks and spencer they have great food aisles and it gives something new. Their clothes in fairness can be hit and miss. The one in Galway is not great but Dublin I would stay in it for hours. Their household is fab too. I would love love love this in limerick

damienirel

M&S is a great store in the UK.
But it's Rep. Of Ireland adaptation has been very poor.
The stores are usually very small and carry only a very limited amount of stock.
Why they even carry branded goods in such small stores, I can't figure out?

If they do go ahead with a 9,290 sq m store in Limerick it might actually be a sucess. The M&S in Sprucefield Centre in Lisburn is worth a visit if you don't like M&S because it might actually change your minds.
Something that carries all of their stock. It would be a guaranteed success - recession or not. It amazes me how small they have built stores around the republic - even the liffey valley one seems small.

angeleyes

I would be a fan of M&S. I find it way easier to get clothes for me as I'm not very tall and if I do buy a skirt or jeans etc I have to get them turned up so for me M&S is ideal in that respect. However, I am in a minority but I do find that the quality of their clothes is better than Dunnes and not as expensive as Debenhams. If I am in Cork or Dublin I always go to M&S for a visit and would be disappointed if I didn't buy anything.

Pumpkinseeds

I suppose the main factor is would M&S last if they opened a store in Limerick? Its all very well creating jobs but if those jobs aren't sustainable there really isn't any point. People want value for money and lets be honest they aren't going to get much for their euro at M&S. I really don't see how any one shop whether it be M*S or anyone else is going to change the cities fortunes. Its never very busy when I go in to the Galway branch.

I wasn't in Limerick for Riverfest this year but judging by how popular its becoming and how many people are drawn to the city perhaps the solution is to hold more of these events that appeal to a wider section of the public as opposed to sport related activities.

shaka

I sorry but why would you want to shop in Marks & Spen either here or UK , nothing appealing other than nicely laid out shops (in uk) . Food is over priced and average, I think Dunnes is better food wise. I know two friends (couple) who would shop there just to be seen shopping there and that's about it

Kess73

For me it is not about the brand that comes it, but rather the jobs.

The city centre is just dying year after year regardless of all the empty promises and talk from the experts in the city authorities about how loads of huge names are looking to set up in the city centre.It has been nothing but manure from them for years now and the papers will no doubt have loads of headlines in the years to come about huge job boosts that are "just about" to set up in the city.

Hell there is even one city councillor who has said in public that the city centre already has too many retailers and business in it, and that in his opinion that half could go.

People can present spin about the damage a new centre would do to the city centre, but the city centre is in freefall for years now.


If a new centre opened and it had the kind of stores and facilities that drew in people from other counties, then not only would the hundreds of new jobs be welcome in my eyes, but the chance for there to be some spin off potential for those with an eye for it in the city centre would also be welcome.


As for M&S, well the nearest one to Limerick (which is in Clonmel) is managing to draw a good number of people who live in Limerick to it (and Iceland which is also in Clonmel) on a weekly basis. Would it not be better for M&S to have a bigger store that the Clonmel one here in Limerick, and let folk who travel to the Clonmel one shop in Limerick as well as people from other counties to come to Limerick.

You may not see the attraction in a M&S store, and personally I would be no fan of going out of my way to go to one either, but the footfall most of their stores attract and the money they make says that a hell of a lot of people think differently than either you or I.

shaka

I hear what your saying about jobs but don't think they will make a difference for following reasons.

It's too expensive to shop in limerick , parking rates are stupid expensive- why would you park in town and pay for it when you can go to crescent or a shopping centre in cork get everything done with free parking?
Even if you do decide to park in town There are too many taxi ranks taking up parking spots.
Shops with exception of brown Thomas and couple others often shut too early and don't open on a Sunday .
I'd love to see a vibrant limerick but a lot of work needs to be done to enable that . Free parking on a Saturday would be a start. I'd also encourage the traders in the market to stay for full day on Saturday , great buzz around market on a Saturday.

Mark and spence would IMO be mad to open in limerick city centre at the moment.

niallers1

I'd take S&M any day over another story about M&S.

Mc Love

niallers1 wrote: »

I'd take S&M any day over another story about M&S.

:rolleyes:

There's always one

Poxyshamrock

shaka wrote: »

It's too expensive to shop in limerick , parking rates are stupid expensive- why would you park in town and pay for it when you can go to crescent

A lot of people could easily walk or take a bus.

I don't see what this obsession with driving and parking is.

Doom

<snip>

Mod Post: One week ban from the forum for trolling

Pumpkinseeds

The thing is, Limerick used to have lots of clothing shops. I remember the time when you could browse in lots of womens clothes shops and go for lunch to decide what to buy. Most of those shops are gone now and they would have been priced at about the same as the M&S range. I went shopping for jeans with my husband a couple of weeks ago in Limerick and he couldn't find a pair of jeans under a 100 euro that he liked so we went to Ennis and got some last week. Can't afford to be spending that kind of money on jeans.

I'm not familliar with Clonmel but I'd bet that M&S is a draw because women can find the kind of clothes they used to buy in places like Sasha for example. My mother is 60 and she still likes to dress fashionably, there really isn't much choice for her clothes wise in Limerick anymore as most of the places she liked are gone now.

A mix of shops is what's missing from Limerick, all that's left is mainly the highstreet names all selling pretty much the same thing but at different prices. People like to browse, take a look at Galway or Cork or even Ennis, the small independent retailers offer a better mix of choice.

Kess73

shaka wrote: »

I hear what your saying about jobs but don't think they will make a difference for following reasons.

It's too expensive to shop in limerick , parking rates are stupid expensive- why would you park in town and pay for it when you can go to crescent or a shopping centre in cork get everything done with free parking?
Even if you do decide to park in town There are too many taxi ranks taking up parking spots.
Shops with exception of brown Thomas and couple others often shut too early and don't open on a Sunday .
I'd love to see a vibrant limerick but a lot of work needs to be done to enable that . Free parking on a Saturday would be a start. I'd also encourage the traders in the market to stay for full day on Saturday , great buzz around market on a Saturday.

Mark and spence would IMO be mad to open in limerick city centre at the moment.

Was not talking about them opening in the city centre, I was talking about the current story linking them to the Parkway Valley project.

knipex

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

A lot of people could easily walk or take a bus.

I don't see what this obsession with driving and parking is.

I have been in business a long time, in sales directly and indirectly for most of that and 1 thing I can tell you for a fact.

If you want to be successfull you provide what the customer wants..

People like to drive to the shop, get what they want and then put it in the boot and drive away. They can do that in multiple locations in or around Limerick. The alternative is to park outside Limerick, get a bus, lug bags around, possibly (probably) get soaked waiting for the bus or goign from the bus stop to where they parked the car...

Telling them they could walk or take the bus isnt going to fix that...

Poxyshamrock

I'm not saying to just tell people to walk or take a bus. That's ridiculous.

Going for lunch and maybe having a bag or two is hardly a need for a car.
I don't see how you seem to think consumers need a car (especially when living in close proximity).
I don't agree that because there isn't free on street parking that people won't shop in Limerick. It's not that black and white.

I believe some people just need to change their habits.

flutered

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

I'm not saying to just tell people to walk or take a bus. That's ridiculous.

Going for lunch and maybe having a bag or two is hardly a need for a car.
I don't see how you seem to think consumers need a car (especially when living in close proximity).
I don't agree that because there isn't free on street parking that people won't shop in Limerick. It's not that black and white.

I believe some people just need to change their habits.

most shoppers if given the oppertunity would park alongside the checkout, i guess that this habit will take some changeing.

pigtown

here we go again
http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/battle-for-marks-spencer-hots-up-in-limerick-1-5358931
It would be hilarious if they opened and were not successful.

europa11

pigtown wrote: »

here we go again
http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/battle-for-marks-spencer-hots-up-in-limerick-1-5358931
It would be hilarious if they opened and were not successful.

Oh please (Limerick Leader, Limerick Post, 95EffEmm, et al) just stop it.

By now this silly season staple has gone well beyond it's sell-by date. Just stick with the silly Councillors and wannabee ones, there's more fun in it and we don't have to be reading this same old tripe about 'will-they, won't they M & S' every few months when there's nothing else left to fill the page.

jmch81

From my read of the article sounds like the Park Valley center is close to the deal.

This is waffle about them trying to get it into the city center. No plan, funding unknown, no start date for construction and completion a long way off. So when it doesn't happen they will say they did their best!

P.s I'm pro the Park Valley Center. The Crescent brings alot of customers in from the surrounding counties and I think it will do the same.

Poxyshamrock

As much as I'd love to see M&S come to Limerick, it would absolutely sicken me if they opened out there.

sleepyman

It's the usual horse manure from the leader-stuck for a story.Put the M&S one up.Agree with you jmch81-will the Council just say to them 'hang on 10 years lads while we get the funding together for the square'.

moby2101

Poxyshamrock wrote: »

As much as I'd love to see M&S come to Limerick, it would absolutely sicken me if they opened out there.

Agree 100%...it MUST be city centre based

audidiesel

moby2101 wrote: »

Agree 100%...it MUST be city centre based

im not too pushed about m&s but id probably never go in the door if its city center based.

the experience of shopping in limerick city center as opposed to the crescent etc is more negative. ive no interest in using public transport and city center is definately too much of a walk. id have to queue in traffic a lot longer and pay for the privilage of parking aswell.

move it out of the city center and those problems largely disappear. it MUST NOT be city center based

moby2101

City centre has crashed and burned as a result of appalling planning decisions taken over the years, without some reinvestment of this calibre we may as well pull down the shutters on it!