Athlone B&Q being saved

wellboy76

Closure though as normal in the city.

[MOD EDIT: ADDED LINK TO STORY ON THIS]
http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/bq-athlone-853729-Apr2013/

Sully

The amount of stores that close in Waterford but are able to operate elsewhere suggests that either there is nobody spending here or the rents are very high.

decies

I passed by a city centre shoe shop last week , notice in window said opening hours for Friday and Sat..Shop only open two days a week in march , i said to myself thinks are even worse in this city than i thought!!!!

Trick of the Tail

...and rates. Which the City Council could do something about, but choose not to.

But I am incredulous that B&Q in Athlone is being saved when Waterford is not. Surely the catchment area of the Athlone store is way lower than Waterford?

Maybe Waterford has more competition for that type of store than Athlone, with Homebase, Woodies, Morriss's, Heaton-Buckley here; Its true that B&Q was a bit expensive, its strength though was that it had everything. I used B&Q a lot simply because I could be pretty sure that they'd have what I wanted, and I'd not have to drive around the entire city to every other shop because they didn't have everything I wanted.

The staff there have always been helpful and knowledgeable, I found. Which is Morris's and Woodies at least, is not always the case.

It's a pity we're losing such a fine store, and that it wasn't supported enough.

A.

mccarthy37

Sully wrote: »

The amount of stores that close in Waterford but are able to operate elsewhere suggests that either there is nobody spending here or the rents are very high.

I was told a while back that B&Q in Waterford was the worst performing store in Ireland. Sadly this is the result. Very sorry for all the staff who are about to lose their jobs , they were lovely to deal with.

Swinng

It looks like the landlord wont play ball with the examiner to bring down the rent and save the store

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/forty-five-jobs-saved-at-athlone-branch-of-bq-589919.html

Crusty Blaa

All the stores in that park are doomed sooner or later. TK Maxx being taken out of there really affected the other stores footfalls. It's dead down there. Not getting a supermarket in there in the first place was always going to be a disaster.

Jamie2k9

Crusty Blaa wrote: »

All the stores in that park are doomed sooner or later. TK Maxx being taken out of there really affected the other stores footfalls. It's dead down there. Not getting a supermarket in there in the first place was always going to be a disaster.

Would be great if M&S came there but that would never happen.

Dicky Pride

I don't get the M&S obsession tbh. But it would do well cause the Waterford sheep are always on about it.

CardBordWindow

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Would be great if M&S came there but that would never happen.

WHY?
There's already 4 Tescos, several Aldsi and Lidls, Dunnes, Superquinn, the Hypermarket, as well as loads of decent sized Centras & Spars.
Do we really need more supermarkets?

Jamie2k9

CardBordWindow wrote: »

WHY?
There's already 4 Tescos, several Aldsi and Lidls, Dunnes, Superquinn, the Hypermarket, as well as loads of decent sized Centras & Spars.
Do we really need more supermarkets?

Its still a small number for the city, Dungarvan has 5 large supermarkets and the sixth would be there now but not because of planning objections. Waterford has what 3 Aldi's and 2 Lidl's, 4 Tesco's and Dunnes.

M&S is a in a different league to the others.

Centras & Spars are the biggest rip off shops in the country.

fiesty lady

CardBordWindow wrote: »

WHY?
There's already 4 Tescos, several Aldsi and Lidls, Dunnes, Superquinn, the Hypermarket, as well as loads of decent sized Centras & Spars.
Do we really need more supermarkets?

Do you really think we want M&S just for its supermarket!

O Riain

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

Its still a small number for the city, Dungarvan has 5 large supermarkets and the sixth would be there now but not because of planning objections. Waterford has what 3 Aldi's and 2 Lidl's, 4 Tesco's and Dunnes.

M&S is a in a different league to the others.

Centras & Spars are the biggest rip off shops in the country.

Small number?

Limerick has 12 supermarkets that I can count off the top of my head for a population double ours and we have about the same number. Also Limerick does not have a Marks & Spencers in Limerick(no one seems to care) is this because of similar planning guidelines by Limerick City Council?

hellfireie

High rents, high rates & high unemployment are the top reasons for store closers. Maybe it should be changed from "Untaken city" to the "Forgotten city".

O Riain

hellfireie wrote: »

High rents, high rates & high unemployment are the top reasons for store closers. Maybe it should be changed from "Untaken city" to the "Forgotten city".

People consistently use the high rates as a reason for our underperformance. How do they propose we make up the cash shortfall? Cork, Dublin and Galway have tourist industrys that dwarf ours so they can afford to have lower rates. In fairness to the city council they are doing as much as they can to improve the tourist experience but will we ever have a tourist industry to match Galway, Kerry, Cork or Dublin? I really dont think we will so the money has to come from elsewhere i.e. high rates unfortunately.

Also how high are the rates in comparison?

7upfree

Dicky Pride wrote: »

I don't get the M&S obsession tbh. But it would do well cause the Waterford sheep are always on about it.

Yeah, it doesn't really matter if M & S don't locate here. Sweet Jesus.:rolleyes:

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater

alinton wrote: »

...and rates. Which the City Council could do something about, but choose not to.

But I am incredulous that B&Q in Athlone is being saved when Waterford is not. Surely the catchment area of the Athlone store is way lower than Waterford?

Maybe Waterford has more competition for that type of store than Athlone, with Homebase, Woodies, Morriss's, Heaton-Buckley here............

A.

You're right to a degree in so far as the population of Athlone itself would be much lower than Waterford City, but Athlone's catchment area is easily as big as Waterford's - while Waterford has three relatively large towns within ~35 miles (Clonmel, Wexford, Kilkenny), Athlone only has Longford, Tullamore and Mullingar which don't have much in them to be fair, so the town's catchment area takes in Westmeath, Longford, Roscommon, Offaly, East Galway and even North Tipp. Galway is the nearest city and its Dublin after that. As well as that, you also touched on competition, the only other large stores of it's type in the town are Woodies, Heavin's and Ganly's.

The store also benefits from a great location, in a retail park right beside the M6 Dublin - Galway motorway.

Having said all that, I know the store has been struggling, wasn't surprised to hear they proposed to close it.

For Forks Sake

deccurley wrote: »

You're right to a degree in so far as the population of Athlone itself would be much lower than Waterford City, but Athlone's catchment area is easily as big as Waterford's - while Waterford has three relatively large towns within ~35 miles (Clonmel, Wexford, Kilkenny), Athlone only has Longford, Tullamore and Mullingar which don't have much in them to be fair, so the town's catchment area takes in Westmeath, Longford, Roscommon, Offaly, East Galway and even North Tipp. Galway is the nearest city and its Dublin after that. As well as that, you also touched on competition, the only other large stores of it's type in the town are Woodies, Heavin's and Ganly's.

The store also benefits from a great location, in a retail park right beside the M6 Dublin - Galway motorway.

Having said all that, I know the store has been struggling, wasn't surprised to hear they proposed to close it.

Both Athlone and Mullingar have M&S stores

Dicky Pride

7upfree wrote: »

Yeah, it doesn't really matter if M & S don't locate here. Sweet Jesus.:rolleyes:

This is a parody account surely. There's no way you can be so hysterical in real life.

Why does Waterford need a Marks and Spencers? Do we really need a supermarket that sells over priced, over indulgent food? BUT WHAT ABOUT THE JOBS?!!! I hear you shout in your typically ridiculous hysterical tone. Well if Marks and Spencers came to Waterford, all the people who are obssessed with it, but don't really know why they are, will flock to it, and you can bet that a ton of jobs will be lost elsewhere.

Waterford has enough going for it right now and doesn't need to bend over backwards to bring the most over rated retail chain on the planet onto its land.

7upfree

Dicky Pride wrote: »

This is a parody account surely. There's no way you can be so hysterical in real life.

Why does Waterford need a Marks and Spencers? Do we really need a supermarket that sells over priced, over indulgent food? BUT WHAT ABOUT THE JOBS?!!! I hear you shout in your typically ridiculous hysterical tone. Well if Marks and Spencers came to Waterford, all the people who are obssessed with it, but don't really know why they are, will flock to it, and you can bet that a ton of jobs will be lost elsewhere.

Waterford has enough going for it right now and doesn't need to bend over backwards to bring the most over rated retail chain on the planet onto its land.

You really, really don't understand retail - do you? That's the hysterical thing about it!:D

Jamie2k9

I only suggested M&S to go there as it would increase the numbers going there a lot and help other business. Who is going to visit there once B&Q are gone. I only went there for them and TK Max before they moved.

Cleary M&S is a touchy subject with people of Waterford..:rolleyes:

fricatus

Crusty Blaa wrote: »

All the stores in that park are doomed sooner or later. TK Maxx being taken out of there really affected the other stores footfalls. It's dead down there. Not getting a supermarket in there in the first place was always going to be a disaster.

I don't see how you can say that. I was there last Saturday for a while and there were plenty of people about, particularly in Harvey Norman and that pet place. The place is huge, remember, so it would take an awful lot of people before it would begin to feel even remotely crowded.

Dicky Pride

7upfree wrote: »

You really, really don't understand retail - do you? That's the hysterical thing about it!:D

Your level of arrogance surpasses anything I've ever seen on the Internet.

7upfree

Dicky Pride wrote: »

Your level of arrogance surpasses anything I've ever seen on the Internet.

Back at ya Dicky. Kettle, pot, etc. Weren't you slagging someone off in another thread about being 14 because they disagreed with you (I think it was Royal Legend)?

7upfree

Jamie2k9 wrote: »

I only suggested M&S to go there as it would increase the numbers going there a lot and help other business. Who is going to visit there once B&Q are gone. I only went there for them and TK Max before they moved.

Cleary M&S is a touchy subject with people of Waterford..:rolleyes:

Only a minority Jamie. Thankfully.:)

7upfree

fricatus wrote: »

I don't see how you can say that. I was there last Saturday for a while and there were plenty of people about, particularly in Harvey Norman and that pet place. The place is huge, remember, so it would take an awful lot of people before it would begin to feel even remotely crowded.

The only thing is that the B&Q reductions are bringing in huge numbers. For now.

Jason Todd

7upfree wrote: »

Back at ya Dicky. Kettle, pot, etc. Weren't you slagging someone off in another thread about being 14 because they disagreed with you (I think it was Royal Legend)?

In fairness 'Royal Legend' was carrying on like a 14 year old.

I live close to the Butlerstown Park and while it is fairly busy most weekends, I think a lot of the recent crowds are there for the B&Q closing down sale. It needs a new company to go in there to keep interest up because if anything ever happens to Harvey Norman the rest are gone too imo. Whether the new unit is M&S or not I don't really care, but it needs something big and something Waterford hasn't got. I would have thought that unit was a bit too big for M&S anyway.

Dicky Pride

7upfree wrote: »

Back at ya Dicky. Kettle, pot, etc. Weren't you slagging someone off in another thread about being 14 because they disagreed with you (I think it was Royal Legend)?

Was it because they disagreed with me? Or was it cause they were acting like a 14-year old? Your arrogance gets the better of you and leads you to think that it must be the former.

Crusty Blaa

7upfree wrote: »

The only thing is that the B&Q reductions are bringing in huge numbers. For now.

^^Exactly. If B&Q didn't have their closing down sale on, the place wouldn't be half as full.

7upfree

Dicky Pride wrote: »

Was it because they disagreed with me? Or was it cause they were acting like a 14-year old? Your arrogance gets the better of you and leads you to think that it must be the former.

In fairness Dicky you were at it yourself. Give it up. And please - do you and me a favour and drop the "arrogance" bit. Very 14 year-ish.

decies

Am around clonmel a lot, and dragged into M+S a good bit as well. With regard to M+S supermarket way overpriced and that would not work in the city , had a look at the mens clothes summer selection, my god it was poor designs and quality to be honest. Ok the ladies might be interested in the clothes for them even that wasn,t hectic looking. Its not the Golden Goose for this city, we need lots more jobs ,leading to more spending power, and hopefully then people supporting the shops that are in the city.