New Business openings and closures around you?

MurdyWurdy

No, I shop in that m and s all the time there'll be nothing left in DL at this rate

Aard

Could it be that there is just an oversupply of retail space in DL? Half of the catchment area is in the sea after all...

Larbre34

Fratton Fred wrote: »

If they opened in 2003 then their lease is probably up for renewal and the turnover of the store just isn't worth it.

With the continuance of the dart covering scheme and the New library, I wonder if the council plan to just ignore George's street in the hope it might just go away.

I dont think it should be an either/or, the seafront developments are drawing crowds which is fine for one aspect of the town but overall the place needs a local area plan and retail strategy sharpish. Along with some creative parking incentives.

Cianos

Hi folks,
I hope it's okay to post this here, given the nature of the thread I presume so, but if not, my apologies!

A friend and I are opening what we believe to be the first ever website shop in the pop up shop space in Dun Laoghaire by the park, on 26th August.

The idea of the shop is to trial the concept of using a retail setting for a web design business. We're both freelance web designers and hope this will be a next step for what we do.

As I mentioned in this thread, we're offering free desk space to any locals who work from home and want a change of scenery for a few days. We'll have wifi and coffee

We'll also have a few free classes and events for local businesses about improving their internet presence, and offer free 30 min consultations about same.

Our Facebook page is here if you want to keep in the loop.

Thank you.

Rory1

fjon wrote: »

The M&S store is hardly recent though - it has been there for at least 5 years I think?
Bottom line is the store was unprofitable. Not sure there's much the council can do - if they don't get enough customers walking past they can't get enough money.

The shop was there in 2005, so at least 8 years old.

zagmund

Rory1 wrote: »

The shop was there in 2005, so at least 8 years old.

Yeah, but compared to most other places in DL, that's recent.

z

Rory1

Regardless how long M&S has been there it is another blow for town. Surely the Council should be trying to do more. DLRCC alway strikes me as a very poor council.

Larbre34

Timely article

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/consumer/d%C3%BAn-laoghaire-searches-for-ways-to-weather-the-storm-as-recession-bites-1.1488873?page=1

Dubl07

Would free wifi entice anyone to George's Street? I seriously doubt it. A free or nominally charged central parking facility with a free hail and ride bus running in a figure eight loop to include the People's Park, Marine Road and George's Street might impact things.

Anyone

Reduce parking, drop rates on empty buildings, try entice some companies in. The rents are silly as well, the shopping centre hasnt reduced their rents at all, between those and the rates, business's cant stay open.

But DLRCC dont care, they make their rates money from Dundrum.

arikv

Anytime Fitness opening on Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire (by the fire station), on the main road.
Already on their website:
http://www.anytimefitness.com/find-gym

24/7 Gym? Is there a market for it?

stehyl15

arikv wrote: »

Anytime Fitness opening on Kill Avenue, Dun Laoghaire (by the fire station), on the main road.
Already on their website:
http://www.anytimefitness.com/find-gym

24/7 Gym? Is there a market for it?

Its 3am in the morning i want a workout

Chinasea

High rents, parking charges, close proximity of Dundrum SC, shopping on line, open drug problems and anti social behavior have all contributed to the downturn in Dun Laoghaire.

I think it was a terrible shame that the citizens and CoCo didn't fully implement and enhance the pedestrianization of the town. If they had of planted a few more trees along the main street, closed off the traffic, lowered rents and curbed the anti-social behaviour, this could have perhaps saved the place and turned it into a 'village' town as opposed to a car congested, polluted, littered, drug mecca.

Hey, there is a still a heck of a lot of positives about Dun Laoghaire, but it really could excel.

stehyl15

Chinasea wrote: »

High rents, parking charges, close proximity of Dundrum SC, shopping on line, open drug problems and anti social behavior have all contributed to the downturn in Dun Laoghaire.

I think it was a terrible shame that the citizens and CoCo didn't fully implement and enhance the pedestrianization of the town. If they had of planted a few more trees along the main street, closed off the traffic, lowered rents and curbed the anti-social behaviour, this could have perhaps saved the place and turned it into a 'village' town as opposed to a car congested, polluted, littered, drug mecca.

Hey, there is a still a heck of a lot of positives about Dun Laoghaire, but it really could excel.

where would buses go

Chinasea

stehyl15 wrote: »

where would buses go

Automated bollards; rising barriers etc.

http://autogateireland.com/barriers-and-bollards

RainyDay

Chinasea wrote: »

Automated bollards; rising barriers etc.

http://autogateireland.com/barriers-and-bollards

Yeeessss, they'd be great fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJlsv2ZSIYE

Fratton Fred

stehyl15 wrote: »

where would buses go

Buses could be re-routed easily.

The 7 towards town could go down Marine Road and the 75 and 46a could turn around via the harbour road.

Larbre34

Don't forget it was the business groups that lobbied to have the main street returned to full traffic in a one-way direction in the first place.

You only have to remember the impact of the construction of that streetscape in the first place to see how bad it was to take the buses away from the centre of the town. The buses rerouted then in more or less the way Fred suggests and it was a disaster. The busiest stops are outside the DL centre and Bloomfields, and the biggest users of public transport are often the ones least able to walk a longer distance to catch it.

Synode

Seriously, can someone start a Dun Laoghaire thread and keep the continual discussion of it off this thread. It's getting tiresome

Tabnabs

Good article in the IT

Dún Laoghaire searches for ways to weather the storm as recession bites

Larbre34

Tabnabs wrote: »

Good article in the IT

Dún Laoghaire searches for ways to weather the storm as recession bites

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=85908277&postcount=459

stehyl15

Cafe libro in dundrum closed beside hughes and hughes

Mick Murdock

Chinasea wrote: »

High rents, parking charges, close proximity of Dundrum SC, shopping on line, open drug problems and anti social behavior have all contributed to the downturn in Dun Laoghaire.

I think it was a terrible shame that the citizens and CoCo didn't fully implement and enhance the pedestrianization of the town. If they had of planted a few more trees along the main street, closed off the traffic, lowered rents and curbed the anti-social behaviour, this could have perhaps saved the place and turned it into a 'village' town as opposed to a car congested, polluted, littered, drug mecca.

Agree with most of what you said, but I work in Dún Laoghaire 6 days a week and I'm often in the area at night and I have rarely, if ever seen any anti-social behaviour. Sure, there are a lot of alcos and druggies (far from unique to Dun Loaghaire) hanging around the place during the day, but they rarely trouble anyone in my experience. Also Dún Laoghaire is easily one of the cleanest towns in the country. Doesn't it come quite highly in the Tidy Towns competitions? Unless I'm missing something?

The town is dead. Even if they paid you to park, what is there to bring people into the shopping centres or Georges Street? Penneys, Tesco, Shaws? Dundrum has obviously affected the town, but Dún Laoghaire has done nothing to help itself.

Having the oldest population in Ireland doesn't do anything for the vibrancy of the place either I suppose.

Dun Laoghaire should look to Howth for inspiration.

leemaree

I heard the other day that Lidl is going in where Iceland used to be in Dun Laoghaire

zagmund

Some refurbishment work going on in one of the shops on the main street in Blackrock at the moment. I *think* it was the O2 shop. Good to see that something new is going in.

z

MurdyWurdy

leemaree wrote: »

I heard the other day that Lidl is going in where Iceland used to be in Dun Laoghaire

There's loads of lidls in the area - one in Deansgrange and Pottery Road. I'd love an Aldi nearby instead. I shop there but have to drive to the Boghall Road in Bray

Dubl07

MurdyWurdy wrote: »

There's loads of lidls in the area - one in Deansgrange and Pottery Road. I'd love an Aldi nearby instead. I shop there but have to drive to the Boghall Road in Bray

The Aldi in Sandyford was quite good initially but they seem to have a lot fewer stock items than Nutgrove these days. Depending on your own particular needs it might be an option.

policarp

Synode wrote: »

Seriously, can someone start a Dun Laoghaire thread and keep the continual discussion of it off this thread. It's getting tiresome

Dun Laoghaire is South Dublin.
Where are you from?

stehyl15

When is m & s closing in dl i know its defo closing but i walked past it the other day and it was still open

annieoburns

It closed yesterday (Sat) at 5 pm:mad: I will miss it as very handy to pick up a few bits.