Is Dunnes in Gorey closing down?

ITDept · 21-05-2015 8:42pm #1

Heard a rumour that Dunnes in Gorey SC is closing down for good at 10:00 tonight. Only a rumour but there you go. Anyone got any insider knowledge?

Par72 · 21-05-2015 8:57pm

ITDept wrote: »

Heard a rumour that Dunnes in Gorey SC is closing down for good at 10:00 tonight. Only a rumour but there you go. Anyone got any insider knowledge?

Yeah apparently it is true and it's going to be on the news tonight.

ITDept · 21-05-2015 10:03pm

http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0521/702878-dunnes-stores-gorey/

Shameful way to treat their staff - not giving them any notice etc. Then again Dunnes aren't exactly known for being great to their staff.

You'd have to ask the planners who allowed a large Tesco to open next door what they thought was going to happen here.

sjb25 · 21-05-2015 10:05pm

Looks like it was in there today bit of a shocker so fast like that

jpb1974 · 21-05-2015 11:06pm

Fairly shocking news alright, had a cousin working in there. It'll totally kill that shopping centre now, very little else in there really.

vicwatson · 21-05-2015 11:45pm

Ya cant be doin that lads ffs.

Wanderer78 · 21-05-2015 11:46pm

dreadful news. this kind of treatment to workers has got to stop.

road_high · 22-05-2015 1:31am

How many large superstores could a town like Gorey support? I'm not that surprised, especially with the massive new tesco opening, not to mention lots of other options nearby in Arklow and enniscorthy. Just very bad planning if you ask me.

smellslikeshoes · 22-05-2015 5:43am

Have never been a fan of the parking for the shopping center, would sooner go to the Tescos over Dunnes for the handier parking alone. Shopping center is finished now I guess, was already in serious trouble before this.

hdowney · 22-05-2015 7:00am

There's talk of the Arklow Dunnes closing too. And apparently part of the Newtown one has too (homewares and stuff)

tritriagain · 22-05-2015 7:07am

All down to bad planning . from new ross and we used to have 2 supermarkets in town now we have 5 and the town centre has had the heart taken from it.

sjb25 · 22-05-2015 9:46am

All locked up shopping centre dead aswell few staff still around in uniform and all bad so it is

Marhay70 · 22-05-2015 12:01pm

By all accounts Dunnes in Gorey was trading well and the reason behind the closure is a dispute with the Centre owners. Either way, a disgraceful way to treat people but that's what we've come to expect from Dunnes.
It's almost a mirror image of how government in Ireland treats citizens.

jpb1974 · 22-05-2015 12:30pm

Ya, I also heard this morning this is to do with a dispute with the shopping centre, something to do with parking.

Larbre34 · 22-05-2015 1:48pm

jpb1974 wrote: »

Ya, I also heard this morning this is to do with a dispute with the shopping centre, something to do with parking.

You may be sure this will be resolved. There is no centre without Dunnes and owners/investors are not suicidal. Ryanair tactics will win out

kneemos · 22-05-2015 1:49pm

According to newstalk this morning Dunnes opened a new entrance to the car park which by-passed the other shops in the centre,all of which are apparently not pleased about the drop in footfall.
Dunnes apparently have a reputation for litigation and digging in,so it may turn out to be a saga.

Not familiar with the place so only repeating what was said.

sjb25 · 22-05-2015 2:07pm

kneemos wrote: »

According to newstalk this morning Dunnes opened a new entrance to the car park which by-passed the other shops in the centre,all of which are apparently not pleased about the drop in footfall.
Dunnes apparently have a reputation for litigation and digging in,so it may turn out to be a saga.

Not familiar with the place so only repeating what was said.

They did open a new door to the outside carpark recently so it's possible

Tesco in gorey will be delighted the place was jammers around 1 when I was there

Marhay70 · 22-05-2015 2:13pm

kneemos wrote: »

According to newstalk this morning Dunnes opened a new entrance to the car park which by-passed the other shops in the centre,all of which are apparently not pleased about the drop in footfall.
Dunnes apparently have a reputation for litigation and digging in,so it may turn out to be a saga.

Not familiar with the place so only repeating what was said.

I think you mean a new entrance to the store. That entrance has always been there AFAIK but just never used. While it may seem reasonable in the eyes of Dunnes Stores to take that approach it is totally unreasonable to drag their staff and customers into the issue. Do they think they are invincible; people are already pi**ed off with them over the recent strike and this type of thing only drives custom away.

sjb25 · 22-05-2015 3:17pm

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

Centre management got injunction in court to shut the door so dunnes management are now having a hissy fit and closing the whole store don't really make spence at all on a friday dunnes would be losing a fortune today why would they
It's all a bit crazy

kneemos · 22-05-2015 3:27pm

sjb25 wrote: »

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

Centre management got injunction in court to shut the door so dunnes management are now having a hissy fit and closing the whole store don't really make spence at all on a friday dunnes would be losing a fortune today why would they
It's all a bit crazy

They were taking out perishable goods this morning as well apparently.
So probably not expecting an immediate solution.

smellslikeshoes · 22-05-2015 3:46pm

I'd say the injunction was just the straw that broke the camels back, if they were doing good business they wouldn't have used the nuclear option in a dispute over a door.

Marhay70 · 22-05-2015 4:01pm

I don't think any of the smaller shops followed the same trading hours as Dunnes except maybe for Fridays, Dunnes may have been pi**ed at having to foot the bill for security for the whole mall. I don't buy the argument of not trading well as anytime I've been in there it's been busy.
I reckon this is just a blunt instrument to beat the smaller traders with, they can't survive without Dunnes and Dunnes know that so whether Dunnes are allowed the new entrance or not, the small guys are gone.

vicwatson · 22-05-2015 6:20pm

Dunnes are stuck in the 80's when it comes to industrial relations, they just love a good court fight, meanwhile the staff are left high and flippin' dry !

holyhead · 22-05-2015 7:58pm

Very disingenuous of Dunnes to try and have their customers bypass all the other tenants in the SC. I mean if they entered a SC which was layed out to channel customers a certain path then why change the rules. I imagine Dunnes were doing a strong trade. I appreciate we are in the era of convenience but still. I think Tesco tried for an external entrance for their store in the Golden Island SC in Athlone but this was turned down in view of the negative effect on the other tenants in the SC.

Mylow · 23-05-2015 12:49am

Marhay70 wrote: »

I don't think any of the smaller shops followed the same trading hours as Dunnes except maybe for Fridays, Dunnes may have been pi**ed at having to foot the bill for security for the whole mall. I don't buy the argument of not trading well as anytime I've been in there it's been busy.
I reckon this is just a blunt instrument to beat the smaller traders with, they can't survive without Dunnes and Dunnes know that so whether Dunnes are allowed the new entrance or not, the small guys are gone.

I don't think you realise how shopping centre management works. You pay maintenance (cleaning, security etc) charge is based upon sq footage, it has absolutely nothing to do with the hours you open. The reason the shops probably close early is there staff cost are more than likely than the profit shop takings for that period. The shopping centre will have core hours they expect the shops to open.

I advised someone to have a clause put into their tenancy agreement that if the anchor tenant was to pull out that the shopping centre they could also end the lease. I certainly wouldn't be in any rush to rent a premises in a shopping centre where Dunnes are the sole anchor tenant.

I feel sorry for the staff and the tenants of the shopping centre, most independent retail shops just don't have deep enough pockets to sustain this type of behaviour.

23-05-2015 7:58am

The centre is in the hands of a receiver and is being sold. This is all a negotiating ploy by Dunnes. They may wish to buy the centre themselves (cheap!) or they may wish to cement current access arrangements with the new owner. Either way, a shopping centre in a provincial town without an anchor tenant is worth a lot less to a potential purchaser than with the anchor.

Dunnes are in a strong position here but it would serve them right if somebody else (the germans?) came in and took it from under their noses....

ccdust · 23-05-2015 11:52am

Marhay70 wrote: »

I don't buy the argument of not trading well as anytime I've been in there it's been busy.

There is never anyone in there when i'm there, I couldn't believe it stayed open for so long, even on Christmas week it's dead in there.

Marhay70 · 23-05-2015 11:56am

Mylow wrote: »

I don't think you realise how shopping centre management works. You pay maintenance (cleaning, security etc) charge is based upon sq footage, it has absolutely nothing to do with the hours you open. The reason the shops probably close early is there staff cost are more than likely than the profit shop takings for that period. The shopping centre will have core hours they expect the shops to open.

I advised someone to have a clause put into their tenancy agreement that if the anchor tenant was to pull out that the shopping centre they could also end the lease. I certainly wouldn't be in any rush to rent a premises in a shopping centre where Dunnes are the sole anchor tenant.

I feel sorry for the staff and the tenants of the shopping centre, most independent retail shops just don't have deep enough pockets to sustain this type of behaviour.

Certainly I don't have experience of this centre but in my experience only perimeter security was included after normal hours and traders who wished to trade longer hours made their own arrangements.
As it stood in Gorey, there was no entry permitted to the underground car park after normal shopping hours, this AFAIK was to prevent access to the back of the mall, the rear entrance to the mall was also locked after that time. If security was a package deal regardless of trading hours, then why this restriction?

ccdust · 23-05-2015 12:06pm

Marhay70 wrote: »

Certainly I don't have experience of this centre but in my experience only perimeter security was included after normal hours and traders who wished to trade longer hours made their own arrangements.
As it stood in Gorey, there was no entry permitted to the underground car park after normal shopping hours, this AFAIK was to prevent access to the back of the mall, the rear entrance to the mall was also locked after that time. If security was a package deal regardless of trading hours, then why this restriction?

It's a tiny little shopping centre and it would make no sense to have the underground car park and back door closed after normal trading hours when it's easier and faster to access it if you park outside the front.

Nokia6230i · 24-05-2015 2:38am

In Fairgreen S.C. in Carlow, Tesco use a separate entrance/exit for after hours (they open 7am-12 Midnight 6 Days & 8am-10pm Sundays) but it's shut & locked during normal trading hours where shops in the centre're only open til 6pm Saturday through Wednesday & til 9 on Thursdays & Fridays.

Why can't Dunnes & Management use this logic to resolve the issue?

24-05-2015 9:47am

Nokia6230i wrote: »

Why can't Dunnes & Management use this logic to resolve the issue?

Dunnes are being very logical here, although brutal as well. This is a clear message to any new owner that the value in this premises is not the bricks and mortar but the fact of having Dunnes as anchor tenant.

I presume that their lease has expired or is about to. It may be that Dunnes might wish to buy the premises themselves, though it does seem suboptimal for them.

Is Dunnes in Gorey closing down?

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