New Business openings and closures around you?

frash

coylemj wrote: »

Tesco probably does something similar with the Merrion Centre being their flagship store.

I go to two Tesco branches regularly enough
HoneyPark (near home)
Ballyfermot (near work)

The former has free olive, cheese & bread samples.
The latter has a tiny fruit & veg section but a huge freezer section.

I think they aim their branches at the clientele

Stephen15

Bloomfields up for sale for 43m

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/three-dublin-shopping-centres-on-sale-for-43m-1.3142023

Marcusm

coylemj wrote: »

Local management typically have no say whatsoever in the matter. I don't know the details for Tesco but I heard a while back that Dunnes Stores grades their stores into three categories so for example, St. Stephens Green and Cornelscourt would be top tier and then you go down the scale according to local economic conditions and the propensity of locals to buy more expensive food items. Tesco probably does something similar with the Merrion Centre being their flagship store.

I imagine the Swan Centre Dunnes has been similarly graded as it has Sheridan's Cheese, Baxter & Greene, specialist butcher etc. By contrast the Rathmines Tesco is a kip. Isn't it amusing how they can be so close and so different. Esp surprising for Tesco given competition from Lidl & Aldi.

coylemj

Marcusm wrote: »

I imagine the Swan Centre Dunnes has been similarly graded as it has Sheridan's Cheese, Baxter & Greene, specialist butcher etc. By contrast the Rathmines Tesco is a kip.

That's very interesting and is the exact reverse of the situation I remember about 30 years ago when I lived off Upper Rathmines Road. I stopped going to Dunnes in the Swan Centre because they started squeezing out established brands in favour of 'own brand' products. The final straw was when they pulled Yoplait yoghurt from the shelves so I moved my business to Quinnsworth (now Tesco) instead.

Marcusm

coylemj wrote: »

That's very interesting and is the exact reverse of the situation I remember about 30 years ago when I lived off Upper Rathmines Road. I stopped going to Dunnes in the Swan Centre because they started squeezing out established brands in favour of 'own brand' products. The final straw was when they pulled Yoplait yoghurt from the shelves so I moved my business to Quinnsworth (now Tesco) instead.

Quinnsworth was far better than Dunnes in Rathmines until about 1994 when Dunnes was refurb'd. Up until then it was v old style with goods moved from basket to basket and manual card machines (a feature some people exploited). I left Dublin in 1996 and returned last year when Dunnes at the Swan was refurb'd yet again. The physical shop limits them somewhat but the range is exemplary. I, personally, am not holding out for the Fallon & Byrne opening. Dunnes, Mortons and Lawlors butchers satisfy me. If there's one poor aspect of the shop it's the James Whelan butchers. I've been unfortunate to try and use these in a number of last cations. The butchers are either unprepared/impractical or have poor skills.

peardrops155

A CeX opening up on Georges Street in Dun Laoghaire. Work being done on the shop at the moment and saw the sign in there while walking past.

Seems like a good addition? Not many places like that in the town.

Stephen15

peardrops155 wrote: »

A CeX opening up on Georges Street in Dun Laoghaire. Work being done on the shop at the moment and saw the sign in there while walking past.

Seems like a good addition? Not many places like that in the town.

Great I'm looking forward to getting €5.45 for my dvd, playstation game and cd collection

Kingp35

peardrops155 wrote: »

A CeX opening up on Georges Street in Dun Laoghaire. Work being done on the shop at the moment and saw the sign in there while walking past.

Seems like a good addition? Not many places like that in the town.

Great stuff!

Conservative

Nice to see a lot of new stores on George's Street since the last time I checked. I noticed the large 2 euro store across from Dunphy's closed. I presume Dealz is murdering the competition like they are doing everywhere else.

Thrilled to see Tony Quinn closed up. Obviously not enough mugs left in the locality!

Those CEX stores are springing up all cross the north. Expanding at A frightening pace!

Still a long way to go for DL. The choice of bars and pubs is still terrible. Worst I am aware of anywhere.

josip

Parcel Motel have announced they're closing their Tesco Ballybrack location due to "circumstances beyond their control"

coylemj

josip wrote: »

Parcel Motel have announced they're closing their Tesco Ballybrack location due to "circumstances beyond their control"

Tesco want the parking spaces back?

Glencarraig

josip wrote: »

Parcel Motel have announced they're closing their Tesco Ballybrack location due to "circumstances beyond their control"

I would say that "Jemmy Bar" was the problem there.

ongarboy

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017/0719/891387-aldi-to-become-tenant-in-refurbished-frascati-centre/

Aldi to open at the Frascati SC in Blackrock. Is it me or is this a kind of underwhelming announcement?  I'd have thought a shopping centre in one of the most affluent suburbs in Ireland would be seeking more high end type food retailers for it's expanded floorspace (eg Donnybrook Fair, Fallon & Byrne or even Fresh)?   I think Aldi is a great store but they can be found just about everywhere.

Stephen15

ongarboy wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017/0719/891387-aldi-to-become-tenant-in-refurbished-frascati-centre/

Aldi to open at the Frascati SC in Blackrock. Is it me or is this a kind of underwhelming announcement?  I'd have thought a shopping centre in one of the most affluent suburbs in Ireland would be seeking more high end type food retailers for it's expanded floorspace (eg Donnybrook Fair, Fallon & Byrne or even Fresh)?   I think Aldi is a great store but they can be found just about everywhere.

Yeah I would have thought so too. However I didn't see Donnybrook Fair/Fallon Byrne type shop opening opening up. I would have thought something more along the lines of Dunnes Stores.

coylemj

I visit my local Lidl at least twice a week so have nothing against the discount stores but I'd have expected the expanded Frascati to include a full blown M&S and not an Aldi. Considering the building works had already started, I'd say the letting agents were getting desperate to let the space.

But their options for a supermarket with a full range of food were limited ..... Supervalu are across the road, Lidl are in Deansgrange, Pottery Road and Stillorgan, Tesco are in Stillorgan SC and expanding, Dunnes have their flagship store in Cornelscourt with massive parking so if M&S weren't interest in opening a full size supermarket, they didn't have many other candidates.

schemingbohemia

ongarboy wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017/0719/891387-aldi-to-become-tenant-in-refurbished-frascati-centre/

Aldi to open at the Frascati SC in Blackrock. Is it me or is this a kind of underwhelming announcement? I'd have thought a shopping centre in one of the most affluent suburbs in Ireland would be seeking more high end type food retailers for it's expanded floorspace (eg Donnybrook Fair, Fallon & Byrne or even Fresh)? I think Aldi is a great store but they can be found just about everywhere.

Stephen15 wrote: »

Yeah I would have thought so too. However I didn't see Donnybrook Fair/Fallon Byrne type shop opening opening up. I would have thought something more along the lines of Dunnes Stores.

coylemj wrote: »

I visit my local Lidl at least twice a week so have nothing against the discount stores but I'd have expected the expanded Frascati to include a full blown M&S and not an Aldi. Considering the building works had already started, I'd say the letting agents were getting desperate to let the space.

There's a significant distance to the next nearest ALDI though isn't there? Sandyford/Sallynoggin/Nutgrove leaves a lot of space for another one. Not too many other options for ALDI in the general area.

Stephen15

schemingbohemia wrote: »

There's a significant distance to the next nearest ALDI though isn't there? Sandyford/Sallynoggin/Nutgrove leaves a lot of space for another one. Not too many other options for ALDI in the general area.

I suppose an Aldi wouldn't be a bad addition. Its no longer just the pile em' high sell em' cheap supermarket selling low quality goods at low prices as they now have some premium products sold at a fair price and it'll certainly give Supervalu across the road a good run for their money.

In other news The Tara Towers is set to be demolished and replaced by a Maldron Hotel and apartments.

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017/0718/891098-dalata-plans-to-redevelop-its-tara-towers-hotel-site/

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/dalata-submits-plan-to-redevelop-tara-towers-hotel-1.3158646

ted1

schemingbohemia wrote: »

ongarboy wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017/0719/891387-aldi-to-become-tenant-in-refurbished-frascati-centre/

Aldi to open at the Frascati SC in Blackrock. Is it me or is this a kind of underwhelming announcement? I'd have thought a shopping centre in one of the most affluent suburbs in Ireland would be seeking more high end type food retailers for it's expanded floorspace (eg Donnybrook Fair, Fallon & Byrne or even Fresh)? I think Aldi is a great store but they can be found just about everywhere.

Stephen15 wrote: »

Yeah I would have thought so too. However I didn't see Donnybrook Fair/Fallon Byrne type shop opening opening up. I would have thought something more along the lines of Dunnes Stores.

coylemj wrote: »

I visit my local Lidl at least twice a week so have nothing against the discount stores but I'd have expected the expanded Frascati to include a full blown M&S and not an Aldi. Considering the building works had already started, I'd say the letting agents were getting desperate to let the space.

There's a significant distance to the next nearest ALDI though isn't there? Sandyford/Sallynoggin/Nutgrove leaves a lot of space for another one. Not too many other options for ALDI in the general area.

The old Mazda dealership between BMW would be the size of their usual sites.

xper

ongarboy wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017/0719/891387-aldi-to-become-tenant-in-refurbished-frascati-centre/

Aldi to open at the Frascati SC in Blackrock. Is it me or is this a kind of underwhelming announcement?  I'd have thought a shopping centre in one of the most affluent suburbs in Ireland would be seeking more high end type food retailers for it's expanded floorspace (eg Donnybrook Fair, Fallon & Byrne or even Fresh)?   I think Aldi is a great store but they can be found just about everywhere.

F&B and Donnybrook Fair aren't really anchor tenant scale shops though, are they? And afluence isn't universal - there are plenty of potential customers in the area (like me!) who can't afford to do a 'full shop' in the likes of M&S.
Until very recently, the Deansgrange/Pottery Road Lidls were they only discount supermarkets east of the N11. There is still a huge swathe north of Sallynoggin/Dun Laoghaire which is still free of the wonders of the centre aisle bargains. I think an Aldi here will do very, very well.
The IT article mentions the Blackrock store will be new style flagship store for Aldi so they are making the effort to 'fit in'.

coylemj wrote: »

I visit my local Lidl at least twice a week so have nothing against the discount stores but I'd have expected the expanded Frascati to include a full blown M&S and not an Aldi. Considering the building works had already started, I'd say the letting agents were getting desperate to let the space. .....

In the original planning permission for the centre's expansion, the new large retail unit was connected to a reconfigured version of the current M&S unit but in the second plan, the one that is now being constructed, the M&S unit pretty much maintains its current footprint and the third anchor unit is totally separate.
It looks like the original thinking was indeed that M&S would open a full clothing section but they changed their minds at some point. The current M&S cafe used to be a small (to the point of near uselessness) clothes section so maybe it gave them enough data to decide it wouldn't work. There is a very large overlap between M&S and Debenhams too so its not a huge gap imho.


P.S. What odds Lidl will follow into the Blackrock Shopping Centre refurb within the year?

caviardreams

xper wrote: »

P.S. What odds Lidl will follow into the Blackrock Shopping Centre refurb within the year?

Are there plans to redevelop the other shopping centre too? Had not heard that - interesting times for Blackrock!

CeilingFly

This will be very much a "Blackrock" aldi.


New flagship premium store and introduction of new fresh food lines - probably closer to M&S than the Aldi of 10 years ago.

Sallynoggin is trialling some of the changes

https://www.esmmagazine.com/aldi-ireland-revamp-stores-project-fresh/45626

coylemj

schemingbohemia wrote: »

There's a significant distance to the next nearest ALDI though isn't there? Sandyford/Sallynoggin/Nutgrove leaves a lot of space for another one. Not too many other options for ALDI in the general area.

There's no question about it, it's ideal for Aldi but I was addressing it from the perspective of the landlord and the other tenants.

I'd say for example that Boots will be none too pleased to see Aldi coming in with all their cheap shampoo, soap etc. The problem for M&S of course is that Debenhams is a direct competitor for the sale of clothes so maybe that's why they decided not to expand in Frascati.

CeilingFly

coylemj wrote: »

There's no question about it, it's ideal for Aldi but I was addressing it from the perspective of the landlord and the other tenants.

I'd say for example that Boots will be none too pleased to see Aldi coming in with all their cheap shampoo, soap etc. The problem for M&S of course is that Debenhams is a direct competitor for the sale of clothes so maybe that's why they decided not to expand in Frascati.

M&S are cutting back on clothing and homeware and concentrating more on food where they do extremely well.

ted1

CeilingFly wrote: »

This will be very much a "Blackrock" aldi.


New flagship premium store and introduction of new fresh food lines - probably closer to M&S than the Aldi of 10 years ago.

Sallynoggin is trialling some of the changes

https://www.esmmagazine.com/aldi-ireland-revamp-stores-project-fresh/45626

I persume Shankill will follow suit once it's built

uch

When are they supposed to start on Shankill ?

ted1

Planning is in, but there's lots of objections. So it might be a while, they should just open in the new centre that was just built

jesus_thats_gre

ongarboy wrote: »

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2017/0719/891387-aldi-to-become-tenant-in-refurbished-frascati-centre/

Aldi to open at the Frascati SC in Blackrock. Is it me or is this a kind of underwhelming announcement?  I'd have thought a shopping centre in one of the most affluent suburbs in Ireland would be seeking more high end type food retailers for it's expanded floorspace (eg Donnybrook Fair, Fallon & Byrne or even Fresh)?   I think Aldi is a great store but they can be found just about everywhere.

Here is a different question. Is it not very rare for them to have a store located in a shopping centre like this? Granted, I have seen them in purpose built facilities with a handful of shops colocated but I don't think I have seen them in a shopping centre like this where there are other large anchor tenants?

Stephen15

jesus_thats_gre wrote: »

Here is a different question. Is it not very rare for them to have a store located in a shopping centre like this? Granted, I have seen them in purpose built facilities with a handful of shops colocated but I don't think I have seen them in a shopping centre like this where there are other large anchor tenants?

True enough I can't really think of any of examples of discount supermarkets in shopping centres other than the Lidl in the old Dundrum SC which is nowhere near on the same scale as this project there is also a Lidl located in the Cornmarket Centre in Cork City. It a shock annoucement to say the least.

xper

caviardreams wrote: »

Are there plans to redevelop the other shopping centre too? Had not heard that - interesting times for Blackrock!

Just going on what other posters have said previously in his thread. Not sure of what such plans actually involve.

coylemj wrote: »

There's no question about it, it's ideal for Aldi but I was addressing it from the perspective of the landlord and the other tenants.

I'd say for example that Boots will be none too pleased to see Aldi coming in with all their cheap shampoo, soap etc. The problem for M&S of course is that Debenhams is a direct competitor for the sale of clothes so maybe that's why they decided not to expand in Frascati.

I'd say the landlord is delighted with a sure bet like Aldi. There is nothing particularly fancy about the Frascati Centre apart from the name. Most of the shops are the exact equivalent, mostly chain stores, of what you'd find in any other small Dublin shopping centre. If anything, Blackrock SC across the road has more independent/niche retailers.


Here's a random question for people who have been around Blackrock longer than I have - did it ever have a cinema? Given the timing that both shopping centres were first built, it may have been just a few years too early for either development to include a multiplex.

Stephen15

xper wrote: »

Here's a random question for people who have been around Blackrock longer than I have - did it ever have a cinema? Given the timing that both shopping centres were first built, it may have been just a few years too early for either development to include a multiplex.

I don't think it ever did. Blackrock isin't really that big size wise its somewhere in between a town like Dun Laoghaire or Bray and a village like Deansgrange or Dalkey. I couldn't see a cinema doing that well there I reckon it might be a case of flooding the market considering Dun Laoghaire, Stillorgan and even Dundrum are only a hop, skip and jump away.