Future of Ennistymon Mart and sale to Aldi?

Mr. G

I was talking about this with someone today, and I see that it could be a worry for some local business owners in the town.

Basically, the Farmers Journal is reporting that a deal has been reached of the mart, despite opposition, for over €1 million.

There was a meeting in the Falls Hotel last Wednesday at which many farmers, and business owners especially were concerned, and rightly so. Fitzpatrick's build a new store not that long ago, and this could crush their business if Aldi move in. For Aldi, if they can't get planning there, there are plenty of other places around the town where they could set up.

There was also an article in the Clare Champion regarding it, and I'm surprised nobody here has mentioned it already.

The farmers seemed to be giving out about it because they would have to travel further, but the mart in Ennis is one of the biggest and where most of the marts take place. There are a few around North and West Clare, but how long they will stand I don't know, majority of them are seasonal, such as the one outside Kilfenora.

Seems like a proposition for the German chain, already having a base in Ennis and Kilrush, though I hear that only 10 jobs are to come should this go ahead, compared with the 80 jobs in Fitzpatrick's.

Interesting times ahead. Especially with the local elections coming this year.

Kilnababe

Surely it's 1 for 1 on the jobs spec, if Fitzpatricks create 1 then Aldi will also. Aldi & Lidl have great prices and would be brilliant for Ennistymon. Save people travelling to Ennis.

dmc17

I've always found Supervalu to be fairly expensive. Nothing like a bit of healthy competition to make you more efficient

Henry Ford III

Fitzptricks is a great shop. I actually almost enjoy shopping there.

Mr. G

Supervalu, while great on customer service and I would always enjoy going in there, are expensive. Not something Fitzpatrick's could reduce, since Musgrave take their cut and restrict their business.

Aldi do have a good reputation for treating their suppliers and employees well, and a lot of those suppliers are Irish. If Tesco came in, would there be as much controversy? People have this thing against German super market chains, but the fact of the matter is is that they support Irish produce, Tesco generally import a lot of their stuff and hold off for 3 months to pay their suppliers.

I would feel for Fitzpatrick's though, they invested a lot of cash into that shop. I cant see Spar, or Conway's being affected since they are only newsagents really.

growler

I would have thought that other than Fitzpatricks, every other business in Ennistymon would be delighted to see Aldi move in as they'd attract shoppers from all over west clare which might bring a bit of life back to the place. A bit ironic that the mart served that function for so many years, but has had its day it seems.

Fitzpatricks is a nice place to shop, but it is incredibly expensive, so competition would only help the consumers.

It would be great to see a bit more investment in the place and a few more jobs.

dee_mc

I'd imagine an Aldi store in Ennistymon would discourage people from heading to Ennis for their 'big shop' - as mentioned above, it can only be good news for the small businesses such as Fancy That, the health food shop, the 3 clothes shops etc.
I don't see SuperValu suffering that much; similar stores in similar sized towns around Ireland are still doing business despite competition from the German supermarkets. Kilrush, Mallow and Kanturk in county Cork come to mind.
This could be the change Ennistymon needs - I know of a tourist information point in the locality where visitors are routinely advised to travel to Ennis for their shopping to avail of better value. Tourists in general are charmed by Ennistymon as they find it quaint - an Aldi store could bring a bit of balance and attract their business more successfully.

Henry Ford III

growler wrote: »

I would have thought that other than Fitzpatricks, every other business in Ennistymon would be delighted to see Aldi move in as they'd attract shoppers from all over west clare which might bring a bit of life back to the place. A bit ironic that the mart served that function for so many years, but has had its day it seems.

Fitzpatricks is a nice place to shop, but it is incredibly expensive, so competition would only help the consumers.

It would be great to see a bit more investment in the place and a few more jobs.

Some of the potential parking could be comical!

RoisinD

growler wrote: »

I would have thought that other than Fitzpatricks, every other business in Ennistymon would be delighted to see Aldi move in as they'd attract shoppers from all over west clare which might bring a bit of life back to the place. A bit ironic that the mart served that function for so many years, but has had its day it seems.

Fitzpatricks is a nice place to shop, but it is incredibly expensive, so competition would only help the consumers.

It would be great to see a bit more investment in the place and a few more jobs.

I shop in Fitzpatricks, in fact I do almost all of my shopping there. Not for the first time have I heard that it is expensive but that is not my experience. A quick look through one of my receipts shows I paid the following: Large box of supervalu cornflakes 1.95, daily basics basmati rice (which imo is the best basmati ) 1.49, daily basics long grain rice 1.19, 100g ham slices 89c, daily basics large bottle of water 50c, tub of rocky road supervalu ice cream 3.00, 2 litre milk 79c, sausages 1.39, rashers 400g 2.69, sugar 1.19, 10kg bag of dog food 9.00. That is a sample of what I bought and I am very happy with both the quality, the price and the service.

Interesting that you think all the other businesses in Ennistymon would be glad to see Aldi move in. That is certainly not what some were saying both at the meeting held at the Falls Hotel last week or indeed on Clare FM. I have been told that at that meeting both Jackie Crowe and Breege Haniffy (?) spoke when both of them stated there would be job losses. I understand that Breege said there would be job losses at her shop, Spar Carrolls and Foleys. Indeed Rosemary Foley was on Clare FM and said it would be devastating for her family business. The workers at the stall in the Square have also said they would have to close.

As someone whose group has availed of the bag packing at Fitz's I would be concerned at the possible loss of revenue for my group, the local schools and groups from Ennistymon, Lahinch, Liscannor, Lisdoonvarna, Kilfenora and Doolin etc who also avail of this. I am sure the local suppliers who supply to Fitz's would also be affected. I don't think I could do without my Val's scones supplied by a local company from Carron

Who knows what will happen but I for one would need a lot more to convince me that Aldi would be a positive for Ennistymon. I must find out a little bit more about it all. I do know that there was massive turnout in the Falls last week. Unfortunately I was unable to attend.

RoisinD

dee_mc wrote: »

I'd imagine an Aldi store in Ennistymon would discourage people from heading to Ennis for their 'big shop' - as mentioned above, it can only be good news for the small businesses such as Fancy That, the health food shop, the 3 clothes shops etc.
I don't see SuperValu suffering that much; similar stores in similar sized towns around Ireland are still doing business despite competition from the German supermarkets. Kilrush, Mallow and Kanturk in county Cork come to mind.
This could be the change Ennistymon needs - I know of a tourist information point in the locality where visitors are routinely advised to travel to Ennis for their shopping to avail of better value. Tourists in general are charmed by Ennistymon as they find it quaint - an Aldi store could bring a bit of balance and attract their business more successfully.

Not saying I disbelieve the statement in bold but I am shocked that anyone who works in the locality would actively encourage people to leave the area to spend their money. No disrespect to Ennis but if they go there to avoid the local shop/shops not only are they affecting local jobs but also depriving other local shops of revenue. No doubt if people go the Ennis they may have a meal there, visit gift shops etc and spend their money there.

dee_mc

RoisinD wrote: »

Not saying I disbelieve the statement in bold but I am shocked that anyone who works in the locality would actively encourage people to leave the area to spend their money. No disrespect to Ennis but if they go there to avoid the local shop/shops not only are they affecting local jobs but also depriving other local shops of revenue. No doubt if people go the Ennis they may have a meal there, visit gift shops etc and spend their money there.

I should point out that I don't agree with what they're doing, but sadly I've heard it from many tourists! I work in the tourist industry (although not at a designated 'information point') and always recommend Fitzpatrick's for supermarket shopping and recommend the meat counter in particular, and suggest the market stall for excellent fruit and veg. Ennistymon has a lot going for it and tourists can see this for themselves, but not if they're directed to avoid it! We all have to do our bit to keep customers in the locality.

haybob

RoisinD wrote: »

I shop in Fitzpatricks, in fact I do almost all of my shopping there. Not for the first time have I heard that it is expensive but that is not my experience. A quick look through one of my receipts shows I paid the following: Large box of supervalu cornflakes 1.95, daily basics basmati rice (which imo is the best basmati ) 1.49, daily basics long grain rice 1.19, 100g ham slices 89c, daily basics large bottle of water 50c, tub of rocky road supervalu ice cream 3.00, 2 litre milk 79c, sausages 1.39, rashers 400g 2.69, sugar 1.19, 10kg bag of dog food 9.00. That is a sample of what I bought and I am very happy with both the quality, the price and the service.

Interesting that you think all the other businesses in Ennistymon would be glad to see Aldi move in. That is certainly not what some were saying both at the meeting held at the Falls Hotel last week or indeed on Clare FM. I have been told that at that meeting both Jackie Crowe and Breege Haniffy (?) spoke when both of them stated there would be job losses. I understand that Breege said there would be job losses at her shop, Spar Carrolls and Foleys. Indeed Rosemary Foley was on Clare FM and said it would be devastating for her family business. The workers at the stall in the Square have also said they would have to close.

As someone whose group has availed of the bag packing at Fitz's I would be concerned at the possible loss of revenue for my group, the local schools and groups from Ennistymon, Lahinch, Liscannor, Lisdoonvarna, Kilfenora and Doolin etc who also avail of this. I am sure the local suppliers who supply to Fitz's would also be affected. I don't think I could do without my Val's scones supplied by a local company from Carron

Who knows what will happen but I for one would need a lot more to convince me that Aldi would be a positive for Ennistymon. I must find out a little bit more about it all. I do know that there was massive turnout in the Falls last week. Unfortunately I was unable to attend.

We do the most of our shopping in fitzpatricks too and find it no more expensive than dunnes or tesco and you don't have the bother of going to Ennis. Its a credit to management there that the staff are so friendly and helpful (I know the most of them anyway)

The only things I wouldn't but in fitzpatricks is fruit and veg or meat but thankfully there is a good butcher in Ennistymon as well as the lady on the square for fruit and veg

It will be a shame to see the mart close I buy cattle there most years the funny part of it all is that SOME of the most vocal farming opponents are never seen in that mart

Mr. G

I'll say this though: I'd shop in Supervalu any day over Tesco or Dunnes. Much more prefer supporting them for what I just wouldn't buy in Aldi. Though, it can be unavoidable for some (like me) to have to shop in Aldi/Lidl..

growler

RoisinD wrote: »

Interesting that you think all the other businesses in Ennistymon would be glad to see Aldi move in. That is certainly not what some were saying both at the meeting held at the Falls Hotel last week or indeed on Clare FM. I have been told that at that meeting both Jackie Crowe and Breege Haniffy (?) spoke when both of them stated there would be job losses. I understand that Breege said there would be job losses at her shop, Spar Carrolls and Foleys. Indeed Rosemary Foley was on Clare FM and said it would be devastating for her family business. The workers at the stall in the Square have also said they would have to close.

I'm not going to dismiss the concerns of Ennistymon's retailers but much the same was being said with Fitzpatricks opened their new place, personally I think it has brought a bit of new life to the place, it a shame that they weren't able to be more centrally located.

I think the town has been in terminal decline for decades and the council and local businesses haven't exactly been winning innovation awards in their quest to revive it. Aldi will bring in more people and offer the existing and potential new business owners in the town an opportunity to grow, prosper and potentially offering some new jobs for locals, resisting change won't.

The biggest problem I foresee is when a funeral clashes with pre-christmas shopping = chaos.

GrandSoftDay

haybob wrote: »

We do the most of our shopping in fitzpatricks too and find it no more expensive than dunnes or tesco and you don't have the bother of going to Ennis. Its a credit to management there that the staff are so friendly and helpful (I know the most of them anyway)

The only things I wouldn't but in fitzpatricks is fruit and veg or meat but thankfully there is a good butcher in Ennistymon as well as the lady on the square for fruit and veg

It will be a shame to see the mart close I buy cattle there most years the funny part of it all is that SOME of the most vocal farming opponents are never seen in that mart

Im not from Ennistimon but would go to Fitz's a good bit to do the shopping, have no great loyalty to there to be honest though. Im a bit pissed off with Clare marts though, they have Kilfenora wound down to a few sales a year now aswell and its a long haul to either Ennis or Gort from where I am to sell a few cattle.

buck65

This will kill all the small shops in Ennistymon.

colm_mcm

buck65 wrote: »

This will kill all the small shops in Ennistymon.

How many people do their weekly shops in a small shop though?
Surely fitzpatricks would have done this already if that were the case?

Mr. G

buck65 wrote: »

This will kill all the small shops in Ennistymon.

I was of the opinion (as mentioned above) that the smaller shops catered for newspapers, briquettes, gas, hot food and the conveniences, of which Aldi do not do so Aldi wouldn't really affect them. If anything, as Colm said, Supervalu would have killed them.

Pub owners may be affected from the business lost on mart days though?

whupdedo

Rather than losing business it will probably improve business in Ennistymn and god knows it needs every bit of help it can get. Big shops usually bring a lot of traffic and people into the area, a lot of the bigger shops set up near each other as believe it or not, studies show that, . They actually increase their business by setting up near each other

zweton

A bit off topic but can anyone recommend a good trad pub in ennistymon.

Shadow Walker

zweton wrote: »

A bit off topic but can anyone recommend a good trad pub in ennistymon.

Cooleys house have a Friday nite trad session and also Wednesday nights during the summer . I know that there were a few guys dropped in on Tuesday nights through the winter just gone and had tunes but I'm not sure if that is still going on.

I think the Archway , McMahons and possibly Cullinans have trad sessions from time to time but Cooley House are the most regular and consistent

thomur

I'd think that Aldi would be a great addition to the town. Personally I've worked in the tea supplier to Aldi and a lot of their suppliers are Irish. They also treat their suppliers well. On another note, I fed my 92 year old mother(Who left Ballagh west, outside Ennistymon in the 40's) on parsnips and spuds from the market stall today and they were top notch. Cant go wrong with a bucket of spuds and a few large parsnips for 3 euro. Id think that anyone who buys at the market stall makes the effort to go there, and Aldi wouldn't really affect it. In fact it will bring more people into the town and probably increase their business

Henry Ford III

Building has started big time on this new shop. I'd say Supervalu are worried.

Parking may be "interesting".

RoisinD

Henry Ford III wrote: »

Building has started big time on this new shop. I'd say Supervalu are worried.

Parking may be "interesting".

Supervalu had an add on ClareFM this week looking for more staff.

Conways shop has closed in the past few weeks.