Who remembers Roches Stores?

Andy From Sligo · 25-09-2023 8:04pm

I tell you what reminds me of Roches though are the Heatons stores (are there any still around?) .

Brand Max here (upstairs in Sports Direct shop here in Sligo) is similar to Roches Stores as well I find (just not as much selection)

miamee · 26-09-2023 10:56am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145560#Comment_121145560

Oh you are bringing me back now @dublingirl83 ! I remember being brought to the café and getting the ice cream on a metal bowl too! My mother would get herself a pot of tea and we'd have the ice cream. I remember the red seats and that it was dark in there, probably dimmed lighting. Wow.

In later years I worked in the Roches Stores in Blanchardstown Shopping Centre in the supermarket, I don't remember there being a supermarket in the one in Henry Street though. Working there was one of the best, most fun jobs I ever had. I think it was just the crowd working part time we were all in college or secondary school and excited to be working in the new shopping centre when it opened, happy days.

Isthisthingon? · 26-09-2023 12:05pm

Roches Stored opened up in City Square waterford when it was built as one of the anchor tennants. It was located opposite across the mall from Dunnes. My mother shopped once in the grocery section for the novelty. I recall seeing some ' roches' brand own label stuff. I think the grocery section lasted a few years and was later redeveloped into clothing with some really good concession areas - River island , Pull and bear , TopShop etc.

It was then sold to debenhams and most if not all of the decent mens sections went with it.

supereurope · 26-09-2023 3:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121158529#Comment_121158529

I don't have many memories of Roches supermarket, Roches was always a must-visit when going to Cork with my parents as a kid but the department store, not the supermarket. I recall being in the Patrick Street/Merchant's Quay supermarket as few times in the early 00s when I was studying in Cork...all I remember was that the prices weren't student-friendly and it had a decent bakery. What I can't remember is whether Roches had own brand groceries, could you buy things like Roches Stores jam or yoghurt?

I think Waterford was one of the first Roches supermarkets to close. When Roches arrived in City Square in 1993, it was one of the first of the big chains to arrive in the city - there was a Crazy Prices but no Quinnsworth, Superquinn or Dunnes grocery. Once these big names arrived in the second half of the 1990s, Roches probably saw their grocery sales go into freefall. After that, quite a few of the Roches supermarkets shut to make way for concessions. I think the Limerick and Blanchardstown supermarkets were closed to make way for Zara.

miamee · 26-09-2023 3:41pm

^^ The RS supermarket in Blanchardstown closed when Roches Stores as a whole closed. The unit was subsequently taken over by Debenhams who did not have a supermarket. The upstairs part of the old Debenhams has only recently become a Zara.

road_high · 26-09-2023 3:43pm

Forget they even had a grocery section. In later years I do remember Super valu franchises in the Dublin ones. Not for long though

supereurope · 26-09-2023 3:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121159792#Comment_121159792

Are you sure about that? Roches exited the supermarket business in early 2005, and at that stage there were only four supermarkets left - two in Cork, Galway and Frascati in Blackrock. The attached article from February 2005 even mentions that the Blanchardstown supermarket had already closed. The Debenhams takeover didn't happen until the autumn of 2006, around 18 months later.

miamee · 26-09-2023 4:29pm

Ok you could be right, there may have been a gap in when the supermarket closed versus when RS closed. I was long gone from working there at that time but it was definitely not a Zara then. There is a thread in the Dublin 15 forum which has a lot of the changes over the years, someone there will remember if it was just an empty unit or if something else took over for those 18 months.

satguy · 26-09-2023 4:38pm

I always got my slightly defective Wrangler jeans form Frawley's in Thomas Street.

But my mum would make me get a good pair shoes from Roches Stores in Henry Street.

prunudo · 26-09-2023 6:18pm

A thread from 2018, which says they closed in 2007, I feel old.

supereurope · 18-01-2024 4:30pm

Anyone know why Roches used always start their post-Christmas sale much later than anyone else? The "Real Sale" wouldn't start until mid-January most years, after we'd gone back to school. My parents nearly always travelled up to Cork for it, but we'd miss out on a trip to the city because of school.

freshpopcorn · 18-01-2024 4:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634883#Comment_121634883

I know in the past I've often heard people speak about the January Sales and they wouldn't start until about the 2nd of January from what I know.

miamee · 18-01-2024 4:50pm

Ah back when the January sales actually started in January 😁 I don't know the answer about why Roches were later, I don't remember that myself.

supereurope · 18-01-2024 4:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634936#Comment_121634936

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121634982#Comment_121634982

A lot of older people still refer to them as the "January sales", so they probably all began in January once upon a time. I'm guessing over time other shops started to shift theirs forward to 27/28th December, but Roches didn't move.

miamee · 18-01-2024 5:09pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121635029#Comment_121635029

Showing my age then, I still call them the January Sales 😆

supereurope · 18-01-2024 5:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121635076#Comment_121635076

Haha it's ok, I do too, and I was born in the 80s 😂

Who remembers Roches Stores?

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