Recession Athlone

lt_cmdr_worf

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2055447598

Zavvi in Athlone are at risk of closing down.

The new Athlone Town Centre has already seen some shop closures (Ben Adams, Alimento, Dr & Herbs)

With the dreaded "R" word creeping in, the business park in Monksland still hasn't got any retail units in either, apart from a furniture shop.

So how will the town fare in the coming years?

teaholic

Better use my voucher so!!!

challengemaster

Nearly wouldn't mind if a few certain places who're complete rip offs anyway went out of business.

gyppo

I think one of the measures of how well retail outlets do in Athlone is corelated to the proximity of available parking.

The new Town Centre never got off to a good start (I think access to this is a pain in the ar*e unless you are walking), and you will see more closures.

Take a look at the "old" Athlone SC where Texas was. I think lack of parking did it no favours.

Golden Island and the Belhavel area still appear to be doing ok - again I believe parking to be the key to this.

cena

zavvi ireland is not affected at all. i know as my brother works for them. so please make sure you'v all the facts before posting

Onikage

gyppo wrote: »

I think one of the measures of how well retail outlets do in Athlone is corelated to the proximity of available parking.

The new Town Centre never got off to a good start (I think access to this is a pain in the ar*e unless you are walking), and you will see more closures.

Take a look at the "old" Athlone SC where Texas was. I think lack of parking did it no favours.

Golden Island and the Belhavel area still appear to be doing ok - again I believe parking to be the key to this.

I don't know... Texas had a multi-story car park that you could get free parking validation for with any purchase inside texas. The new centre also has ample nearby parking both underground and in the fair green.

What they both lack is a heavyweight anchor store. Spar in texas was never going to cut it and the M&S food section is too small. Wheras Golden Island/Belhavel has Dunnes/Tesco/even Aldi.

Syferus

cena wrote: »

zavvi ireland is not affected at all. i know as my brother works for them. so please make sure you'v all the facts before posting

Ahem..

roosterman71

cena wrote: »

zavvi ireland is not affected at all. i know as my brother works for them. so please make sure you'v all the facts before posting

I don't recall him stating that Zavvi closing was a fact, but my god the rumour was accurate.

veryangryman

Ha "my brother said"

Yeah - he probably work(ed) 5 hours on a Saturday. Nobody knows what the company heads are up to at any one time. Certainly not these days

athlonelad

if the new shopping centre wasn't so greedy in trying to charge for parking then they might be doing better. Maybe they could try free parking if you buy something in one of their stores. Very popular concept in the states and seems to work. All they do is stamp your parking ticket in the shop when you buy something.

Saruman

They should offer two hours free parking at the very least.
The main problem as others have said is the lack of a big store and all the shops in the place are simply too small. M&S is the perfect example.

Personally if i was going to the town centre i will park in Dunnes. I will usually end up going in to Dunnes to get some food so im still a Dunnes Customer

roosterman71

I think a bigger problem is that any passing trade is near zero.

If you drive to it, you can easily miss it. From one side it looks like a hotel, from another its blocked off by houses. It was a badly designed place from day 1.

Also, the name is quite rubbish. if your driving along the dual carriageway, or any other road near, you'll see a sign for Athlone Town Centre. To passers by that would suggest the centre of the town, not a new shopping centre.

veryangryman

The fact that most stores are up-market in terms of price also contributes to this. Try getting out of there with less than €50 spent in a go!

The place badly needs a Dunnes or Tesco to move in. Golden Island works by people impulse buying on their (planned) trip to Tesco alone. Other cheap stores like Pennys etc keep people coming back

That said, free parking would be a help. Even if they just offered it to anyone who paid more than €10 for their shopping.

Saruman

Thats because zavvi went bust. HMV have bought some of them like the Liffey Valley one for instance.

stapolinhosting

Onikage wrote: »

The new centre also has ample nearby parking both underground and in the fair green.

Thats true, but fair green can be full at the best of times, you sometimes have to hang around for someone to pull out so youcan get a space, even then there could be more people doing as you do so you got a fight on your hands for the space. LOL

Onikage wrote: »

What they both lack is a heavyweight anchor store.

This I agree with fully
I think they tried that by using M&S, and where they placed it, where people would have to pass a good few shops before reachin it. But for the town its in, Tesco & Dunnes seem to be the favoured choice. And if really on a budget then Aldi or Lidl or Both!

I have gone into M&S once or twice, but tbh, its nothing special. Not like the one in Liffey Valley which is bright and airy and comfortable to walk around. But M&S shopping is very rare for me, i prefere Tesco for my sausages and Dunnes for my Ice Cream...mmmm Tripple Chocolate Icecream!

Altho, if Superquinn were to go in to the Town Centre, then thats where I would be going, cant beat superquin sausages!