Changes in JCs

dslamjack

You're right ,it was about opposite Kealy's , give or take,

Originally posted by Wishbone Ash -- Apologies for going off topic and being pedantic but wasn't that school further up a bit opposite Kealy's (where the entrance to the Green Long Term parking is now?)

there's actually an old cottage adjacent to Kealy's, a lot of bands used to practise there,including the well known group U2 when they were starting out.
I can't remember what year the school was demolished ,the site was idle for year's and only the front wall remained,how long is the Alsaa there 30 years ?.

rushfan

Wishbone Ash wrote:

I know it won't be popular to say here but I could never see the appeal of JC's. In saying that, I've probably only been in there maybe 5 or 6 times in the past 30 years but it just didn't do it for me.

Each to their own I guess ( kinda like cycling eh?? 😉 ) , but I always found it cheaper than Tesco or Stupidquinns etc. I could quote a few examples but don't want to come across as a supermarket anorak.

Wishbone Ash

dslamjack wrote: »

...I can't remember what year the school was demolished ,the site was idle for year's and only the front wall remained,how long is the Alsaa there 30 years ?.

It closed in 1967 and I think it was demolished in the late 1970's.

TheDoc

I was wondering where the butchers had went, considering the changes to the bakery area and the wall of value.

Thinking about it, while I bought plenty of meat in JC's, it was never from the butcher counter, but from the packs on the isles opposite. I somewhat assumed that was all prep'd by the instore butchers, so will be annoyed if thats gone, as it was some good stuff. And to be fair, the only reason I was still going in there. I do a kinda lazy Saturday/Sunday visit there for just breakfast stuff. We do our shop in Aldi. Can't say I see the Lidl beside being the issue, since they do not have a butchers, and the general consensus I hear is their meat isn't as good as Aldi, and that Jc's stuff was better again.

I'd say the issue is more with the butchers themselves getting their **** in order. you have one of thsoe Meat Company places that does good business down by the Christian Brothers school, and I hear nothing but good things about the butchers in Applewood. Meaning to pop in there actually since its just around the corner from me, but seemingly its great value and quality.

kowloon

Used to buy meat in JC's, would do a regular shop while I was there but it was the meat counter that got me to go out of my way. The butchers there were excellent. Anyone have a recommendation for a good meat supplier around Fingal?

dslamjack

Howley's here in Lusk,up beside the village store,Padraig and his excellent staff,the best quality and value ...http://www.howleysbutchers.ie/

micraX

Some of the butchers now working at Country Crests farm shop in Jones garden center.

T-Maxx

micraX wrote:

Some of the butchers now working at Country Crests farm shop in Jones garden center.

I saw the photo and article in the local paper and figured as much. Good news, I hope the other folks get sorted as well.

ann0

Stheno wrote: »

Is there no fresh butchers at all anymore?

there is a handful of butchers left.i think they are prepacking the meat themselves.a lot of what they made themselves is still there only prepacked.

sharkman

ann0 wrote: »

there is a handful of butchers left.i think they are prepacking the meat themselves.a lot of what they made themselves is still there only prepacked.

All meat is now pre-packed off premises by another butchers .

Ginny

Really? Crap, from what we were told a few butchers were kept and were packaging the meat in the back room that is left near the fish counter.

sharkman

Ginny wrote: »

Really? Crap, from what we were told a few butchers were kept and were packaging the meat in the back room that is left near the fish counter.

New supplier from today : http://www.mkmeats.eu/about.asp

carltonleon

Have been in JCs the last 2 weekends and the shop is not half as busy as previously. I would worry for its future, I have to say.

sharkman

carltonleon wrote: »

Have been in JCs the last 2 weekends and the shop is not half as busy as previously. I would worry for its future, I have to say.

I agree , I'm a regular in there and it's going nowhere FAST ! Getting rid of the butchers was economic suicide. They have got rid of some of their best assets ( the staff that brought the customer back week in week out) and are investing in technology. I'm wondering who JC's kids are listening too , I know the man would be disgusted at the current shop .

Uriel.

Yeah,
I've been a regular shopper there for decades. There is a definite and considerable drop in footfall, which I think is such a pity. I do worry about its long-term future, especially when the new Aldi and Lidl open.

Personally I think Swords will be worse off losing such a long standing indigenous business and employer. The price of so-called progress.

On a slightly different but related track, I am still regularly annoyed by the decision to allow Lidl build where they did - traffic can be a real pain at peak times on a single lane road, predominately due to cars queuing to enter which is a result of inadequate car park spaces and car park space(i.e. too close to the entrance leaving little on premises queuing space).

Dizzyblonde

It's a pity they didn't keep a few butchers and a smaller butchers section, it would have made a huge difference.

carltonleon

Totally agree about the butchers. I think some of the butchers were on big money but at least they should have kept a smaller butchers, in my opinion.
What is noticeable is the 4 or 5 of the tills are not open at all even at peak time.

rushfan

Agree with all of the above. JC'S definitely seems to be on a bit of a slide. I see they have a number of self service tills now at the off licence end. Also, one of the staff told me last week that they are reopening a small butchers counter soon. I'm not impressed either with the meat selection.

carltonleon

rushfan wrote: »

Agree with all of the above. JC'S definitely seems to be on a bit of a slide. I see they have a number of self service tills now at the off licence end. Also, one of the staff told me last week that they are reopening a small butchers counter soon. I'm not impressed either with the meat selection.

Reopening a small butchers counter would be a good step. I thought that they might do something like this were the higher paid lads/ladies would be made redundant and then a few months later reopen a smaller counter with much lower paid butcher staff.

pinkypinky

Small butchers counter is a good idea. I've complained twice about meat (them not having what I wanted, or just in too large quantities) in the last couple of months.

I've no objection to self-service check-outs when I only have a couple of items. I was in at lunch time today and it did save me several minutes queuing.

TheDoc

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

It's a pity they didn't keep a few butchers and a smaller butchers section, it would have made a huge difference.

I've moved out from Swords now to Malahide so JC's won't be a feature for me anymore, but I'd very much stopped going their entirely after they removed their butchers. I'm an Aldi shopper but kept buying our meat in Jc's. And once they removed the butchers we said ****it lets have a try of the Aldi stuff.

Really good, well priced, and now the full shop done in Aldi and I didn't go into JC's for weeks.

While might well be a pity if it does go on the slide, there is a certain aspect of no sympathy, as they should be abundantly aware of the shift in trends and the market itself, but they have a literal competitor right next door reminding them.

carltonleon

TheDoc wrote: »

While might well be a pity if it does go on the slide, there is a certain aspect of no sympathy, as they should be abundantly aware of the shift in trends and the market itself, but they have a literal competitor right next door reminding them.

Very hard for a local supermarket to compete with a Global Discount Supermarket chain though, in fairness.

Dizzyblonde

I've more or less stopped buying meat in JC's too, I buy it in Dublin Meat company and Aldi. JC's lean minced beef was great value but it's way more expensive now.

McAlban

I also note the traditional Homemade Spray Can Signs are gone; they (The Savages) need to modernise a lot, but they do also need to keep the things that people value. I for one will continue into JC's every week just for the Pizza Counter. (Raised on JC's Pizza, Sorry Not Sorry!)

The Butchers in JC's were unionised and all very well paid and it was uneconomical to keep them. They all got very good redundancy on the closure, and a smaller butchers counter (and possibly an outsource to Gleesons or the Like) may be better in the long run. I'd say Dublin Meat Co. would jump at the chance to lease counter space in there (Footfall in JC's being a lot higher than Larkins Industrial Yard on the Forest Road).

As for the Home made signs, it was almost a trademark, as famous as Barryisms.

plodder

Recently, the hassle of getting in and out of Lidl and the crazy queues is starting to drive me nuts - the other half was telling me last week there was a guy standing in the queue in front of her, holding a place while someone else went around and did the shopping. He got to the top of the queue and stalled just long enough for the trolley to arrive. Absolutely crazy. Nobody would do that in JCs. It's a breath of fresh air by comparison.

Dizzyblonde

Ah I still love shopping in JC's though, there's no way I'd do my main weekly shop anywhere else.

pinkypinky

Dizzyblonde wrote: »

Ah I still love shopping in JC's though, there's no way I'd do my main weekly shop anywhere else.

I'm the same, and there's nothing more we can do to support them than that.

I just heard yesterday about the whole union thing, so it seems it was always the plan to reopen the butchers' counter on a smaller scale after the appropriate period of time. Apparently the union forced large bonuses at Christmas, and some staff felt they'd rather definitely have a job this year than a bonus.

McAlban

pinkypinky wrote: »

I'm the same, and there's nothing more we can do to support them than that.

I just heard yesterday about the whole union thing, so it seems it was always the plan to reopen the butchers' counter on a smaller scale after the appropriate period of time. Apparently the union forced large bonuses at Christmas, and some staff felt they'd rather definitely have a job this year than a bonus.

That's a bit shocking to be honest, my OH worked on the checkouts for years and JC's always really looked after their staff. They hired locally, the staff were treated well, even the non unionised ones, and sure there was nepotism going on but where doens't that happen.

This again sounds like a greedy shop steward messing things up.

Yggr of Asgard

Does JC offer to deliver bags of shopping home when I shop there?

My local Dunnes now offers to bring the shopping bags home if I shop over 25€ which saves me the hassle and means I can shop more.

sharkman

Yggr of Asgard wrote: »

Does JC offer to deliver bags of shopping home when I shop there?

My local Dunnes now offers to bring the shopping bags home if I shop over 25€ which saves me the hassle and means I can shop more.

I believe they do.