Douglas Court SC

The_Banker

There are security guards on all entrances to Douglas Court Shopping Centre last night and tonight after 6PM blocking shoppers entering the centre.
Apparently the centre is in dispute with Dunnes Stores.

Anyone know what the dispute is about?

mikeym

Apparently theres an issue over rent that Dunnes owes to the new owner.

Dunnes was meant to close at 9 tonight.

mik_da_man

That's mad!

Milly33

Just heard it on the radio but missed the main part... mmmm was planning to call in there this evening pants... Wonder what the outcome will be

Luap

The shopping centre is opened till 9 this evening. Because of the late opening of other stores on Thursdays and Fridays.

Milly33

So it is just the Dunnes part of the shopping centre or is it the entire shopping centre

D'Agger

Out of interest, if I'm disgruntled having travelled to Dunnes for my shopping, what right do the security guards have, under law to prevent me from entering the shopping centre?

Because if a security guard told me I couldn't enter to go to a shop that's advertised as open, I'd be telling him to fúck off and looking to go through, does he have a legal grounding on which he can physically stop me entering the premesis?

I suppose Tesco is just around the corner though :pac:

SpaceTime

It's private property and you have to cross it to get into Dunnes, so pretty much the same right that you'd have to prevent someone walking through your living room.

If you pushed passed, you'd be trespassing.

It's a pretty silly move though as it will put people off using the shopping centre altogether if it escalates as who wants to turn up to be refused entry over a dispute?

You've Tesco and M&S across the road and Mahon Point 10 mins away, not to mention various Lidl, Aldi and also SuperValu stores if you're just interested in groceries.

D'Agger

SpaceTime wrote: »

It's private property and you have to cross it to get into Dunnes, so pretty much the same right that you'd have to prevent someone walking through your living room.

If you pushed passed, you'd be trespassing.

It's a pretty silly move though as it will put people off using the shopping centre altogether if it escalates as who wants to turn up to be refused entry over a dispute?

You've Tesco and M&S across the road and Mahon Point 10 mins away, not to mention various Lidl, Aldi and also SuperValu stores if you're just interested in groceries.

True but in that case just close the fúcking doors...perhaps that violates their lease with Dunnes however

It looks petty on the part of the SC, but on the other hand, it shows they're willing to step up and take on Dunnes. Their tactics may produce bad publicity for them, but it's also for Dunnes which might result in a swifter resolution.

ongarboy

Seems to be a problem in Blackpool as well per below article. It seems the problem is in the evenings only after the other traders have closed for the day. Dunnes ended up closing their outlet in Gorey over dispute with landlord over creating an entrance directly onto carpark that meant shoppers could bypass the main mall which p**d off other tenants. They really seem to be ruffling feathers all over the place. Legal disputes with Aldi, Point Village in Dublin among others etc.

http://www.eveningecho.ie/cork-news/dunnes-urged-to-sort-out-staff-access-issue/

Milly33

Interesting, I thought it was the entire shopping centre doh.. Called into Tesco last night because of this and well I wont rant about my experience there.

I prefer to support Irish in these terms but then if they haven't paid they haven't paid, but they should just close the store...

Oafley Jones

Milly33 wrote: »

Interesting, I thought it was the entire shopping centre doh.. Called into Tesco last night because of this and well I wont rant about my experience there.

I prefer to support Irish in these terms but then if they haven't paid they haven't paid, but they should just close the store...

Worked for Dunnes for five years in college. It was a decent experience for me. I'd no real complaints. luckily in our store most of the managers were great people. However... As a company, they've a well earned reputation as being utter ****s and I'm constantly surprised at how much of a PR disaster they are.

PreCocious

D'Agger wrote: »

Out of interest, if I'm disgruntled having travelled to Dunnes for my shopping, what right do the security guards have, under law to prevent me from entering the shopping centre?

Because if a security guard told me I couldn't enter to go to a shop that's advertised as open, I'd be telling him to fúck off and looking to go through, does he have a legal grounding on which he can physically stop me entering the premesis?

I suppose Tesco is just around the corner though :pac:

He can. Private property and all that. Generally open to anyone but they can change that if they want.

bladebrew

A security guard stopped me the other night after 9pm and told me the shopping centre was closed, only the off licence was open!
Dunnes has become a joke of a company, I used to work there but left over 10 years ago due to getting 25 hours or less a week no such thing as full time , and that crap is still going on, picking fights with suppliers all the time and now picking fights with property management aswell!
I don't know how then still get away with everything despite the supermarket sector being so competitive nowadays, the only customers left in Dunnes are there out of habit I think.

roundymac

Security guard can tell you that you are tresspassing but cannot physically stop you, if he as much as brush's against you that is technically an assault, strange but's that's the law.

SpaceTime

Has this been resolved yet?

Going Strong

I noticed that the Dunnes premises in Merchants Quay was closed two weeks ago - Sunday afternoon while everything else was open. I wonder if it's part of the same issue?

ofcork

Security on entrance to blackpool on thurs night not letting cars in.

Milly33

so it isn't just the one place they must be in serious trouble then

SpaceTime

Dunnes are known to play hardball with suppliers. I wouldn't read too much into it just yet.

Milly33

surely closing down the stores cant be something they would willingly do... I though the issue with Douglas was that they didn't pay the rent but if they are all closed then it must be bigger

SpaceTime

Which ones are closed and when though?

Is there one property developer behind all three centres ?

They shuttered a store in Wexford over a dispute over a car park door

http://m.wexfordpeople.ie/news/injunction-forcing-dunnes-to-block-access-to-surface-car-park-led-to-shock-closure-31244587.html

sozbox

Why would you let Dunnes constant nonsense interfere with your life, just go to Aldi and forget about that backward company.

SpaceTime

They'll definitely lose custom over this though. There's no shortage of alternatives in any of those locations and once you break a customer's habits they might never come back.

Oafley Jones

SpaceTime wrote: »

They'll definitely lose custom over this though. There's no shortage of alternatives in any of those locations and once you break a customer's habits they might never come back.

I rarely go there anymore. Most of their stores are disasters at this stage. Some were always awful. How places like north main St continue to operate I don't know. Any time I meet the lads I worked with the story is the same. They say that they're in trouble as a company and that they're looking constantly to get bought out. Then I see that they've increased their market share by almost five percent last year. I dont know anyone who regularly shops there anymore.

Markcheese

roundymac wrote: »

Security guard can tell you that you are tresspassing but cannot physically stop you, if he as much as brush's against you that is technically an assault, strange but's that's the law.

I suppose he can stand in front of you and if you push him - then that's an assault -

SpaceTime

I don't know how those market share figures are even calculated as they publish no information as a private unlimited company they're quite shrouded in secrecy.

Oafley Jones

SpaceTime wrote: »

I don't know how those market share figures are even calculated as they publish no information as a private unlimited company they're quite shrouded in secrecy.

This is true. Added to this that certain stores such as bishopstown court are separate companies (within the group) makes things all the muddier.

ofcork

According to the echo a Dublin based company now owns douglas court and blackpool so the issue is between dunnes and them to do with they being open after the other shops are closed.

SpaceTime

We actually know nothing much about Dunnes other than what you can observe from the outside. They're an unlimited company that doesn't have any obligation to publish accounts.

All I know though is they've a history of tough negotiations and they own a lot of stores outright, unlike most of their competition.


They often seem to own their store and have access through a shopping centre. This is probably where the tensions are arrising. Effectively they're often co-existing neighbours rather than a tenant.

If the SC doesn't play ball with the anchor (which may not be a tenant) they may find a huge impact on footfall.

Attempting to hike some charges on Dunnes would inevitably result in some kind of drama though.

It'll be interesting to see where this goes though.

Gets popcorn (at SuperValu)

Milly33

well now I'm tuned in, thanks for that spacetime you are a fountain of knowledge