Spar, Centra, Mace, Londis etc

darkman2

Anyone think that, em, there is way too many of each of these shops opening up everywhere? Im not complaining about the convienience - they are convienient (and expensive) but they are everywhere now. Does a new Spar open every day or something? Some streets in Dublin now have 2 or 3 Spars on them. Then you have Mace, Londis and the rest. UK chains incidentally. Our towns and cities are no different now to any below average UK city. It's hardly supprising that in a certain UK shop in Dublin I use to work some British people now and again genuinely did'nt realise they were not in the UK!

Also they all look the same. Why do they all have to look exactly the same? I know they are brands but surely a bit of thought could go into the shop front designs etc. Terrible what is being allowed to happen to our towns and Dublin by British multinationals (and to a lesser evil extent American ones). All our streets look the same. Spars everywhere.

Oh and in case anyone says more of these shops mean cheaper things - I hope people don't genuinely believe these shops are competing with each other on price in this country...Near me is a Centra and a Mace within 500m of each other. 2L bottle of coke €2.45 in both of them. Rip off.

(just an example)

MaybeLogic

I thought they were all franchises?

give it time, they'll wear each other down with lowering prices.

Survival of the fittest.

yoshytoshy

I think this of pharmacy's ,so obvious they're cash printing machines.

Mediocrity

What a stupid thread title.

mike65

Dey is creatin' alour jobz

GLaDOS

Do you wish to send Spar and 4 other chains to the recycle bin?

4zn76tysfajdxp

darkman2 wrote: »

Should Spar, Centra, Mace, Londis etc be deleted?

If you have a problem with them, report their posts.

starbelgrade

Why not just stop shopping in these shops & vote with yr feet?

big_show

Yes they should, once they stop selling cheap cheap rolls! :pac:

yoshytoshy

starbelgrade wrote: »

Why not just stop shopping in these shops & vote with yr feet?

Everyone should shop in boots:pac:

darkman2

starbelgrade wrote: »

Why not just stop shopping in these shops & vote with yr feet?

Cos they are the only shops now in my near enough vicinity.:rolleyes:

Dudess

Thread about this on the Dublin City forum at the mo'.

As I said on it, the amount of Spars in Dublin does make me chuckle. Metres away from each other some of them are...

Karoma

darkman2 wrote: »

Cos they are the only shops now in my near enough vicinity.:rolleyes:

So you choose laziness over market competition? You're your own enemy.

mike65

Dudess wrote: »

Thread about this on the Dublin City forum at the mo'.

As I said on it, the amount of Spars in Dublin does make me chuckle. Metres away from each other some of them are...

So we can look forward to some Spar Wars?

brummytom

Isn't Spar a co-operative? So I don't really see the problem, it's not really a chain, more independent corner-shops.

But you have got loads

Azureus

With this whole recession thing, I made a decision to start shopping in the lil local shops to support them..
It was then I noticed that aside from them not employing Irish people, they were costing me a fortune.
Spar roll and 500ml bottle of coke = 2.80e.
Wouldnt do a full shop there, but dammit they get me through college so capitalism all the way.
Now Im off to Starbucks

Dudess

mike65 wrote: »

So we can look forward to some Spar Wars?

Spar spars?

Linku

Typical AH anti-UK bs without facts thrown in for no reason.

Musgraves, a private Irish company own Centra in Ireland and own Londis in the UK. The Londis brand in Ireland is owned by ADM Londis plc., and Irish publically listed company.

Another private Irish wholeseller, BWG Foods own the Mace, Spar and XL Stop & Shop brands in Ireland.

I'm pretty sure all of these stores are franchised, owned by local people, so very little of the money leaves the country.

darkman2

Karoma wrote: »

So you choose laziness over market competition? You're your own enemy.

Karoma wrote: »

So you choose laziness over market competition? You're your own enemy.

No, I go to other stores when I can. But in my locality, i.e within 25 minute walking distance, these are the only two stores. I should not have to drive out of my area anytime I want something small for example but according to your point, which I agree with,it appears I have to. They don't compete at all with each other on prices. It's like they meet in the local pub and decide what they will both charge this week.

mike65

Dudess wrote: »

Spar spars?

Its when Mace mace Spar during a spar that things will have got out of hand.

ps like the icon

yoshytoshy

I've myself trained to buy only certain goods in spar ,stuff that I can't be overcharged for.
Bread ,milk ,bacon stuff like that.

Karoma

darkman2 wrote: »

No, I go to other stores when I can. But in my locality, i.e within 25 minute walking distance, these are the only two stores. I should not have to drive out of my area anytime I want something small for example but according to your point, which I agree with,it appears I have to. They don't compete at all with each other on prices. It's like they meet in the local pub and decide what they will both charge this week.

You're being ridiculous. They have telephones and email to fix prices, these days.
25 minutes? The solution is easy: walk faster. Duh.

Mike 1972

More choice, competion, convenience (not to mention jobs) ? Omigawd how terrible

darkman2 wrote: »

UK chains incidentally. .... Terrible what is being allowed to happen to our towns and Dublin by British multinationals (and to a lesser evil extent American ones).

Next thing theyll steal our Women and rape our potatoes

darkman2 wrote: »

2L bottle of coke

You were saying something about the evils of foreign multinational corporations ........:rolleyes:

ScouseMouse

Just to let you know:

Centra is irish, independantly owned stores operating under the brand Centra (and Supervalu). Musgrave in cork are the head company. Very Irish.

Londis is irish, independantly owned stores operating under the brand Londis. Adm Londis are the head company in Johnstown, just outside Naas who own, the brand Very Irish. The have no connection to any foreign londis.

Spar is again an irish operated company. Irish rights owned by BWG foods in Walkinstown. Most stores independantly operated and owned.

They are all irish, not foreign.

But you are right about the amount of them. When you have two spars and a londis on one street, its taking the mickey. I believe the two spars closed down. This was Gardner street in dublin.

Tchaikovsky

Spar is Dutch, by the way

Coming soon: Starbucks

starbelgrade

Linku wrote: »

I'm pretty sure all of these stores are franchised, owned by local people, so very little of the money leaves the country.

Apart the little amount of money they spend on imported goods and / or to the multinationals who produce goods in Ireland, such as booze, ciggies, biscuits, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks, toiletries, kitchen stuff, cereals, cleaning products, seasonal items, fruit, veg, meats, etc etc.

Dudess

Is any other town/city in Ireland being swallowed up by a sea of Subway, like Cork?

Linku

starbelgrade wrote: »

Apart the little amount of money they spend on imported goods and / or to the multinationals who produce goods in Ireland, such as booze, ciggies, biscuits, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks, toiletries, kitchen stuff, cereals, cleaning products, seasonal items, fruit, veg, meats, etc etc.

I was clearly talking about what they take in over the till - lots of those products aren't even available from Ireland or from 100% Irish companies, so it's the same no matter where you shop...

starbelgrade

Linku wrote: »

I was clearly talking about what they take in over the till - lots of those products aren't even available from Ireland or from 100% Irish companies, so it's the same no matter where you shop...

Well it's a lot easier to buy Irish products if you don't shop in these franchises.

Tchaikovsky

By the wa, I've never, ever, ever seen an Irish person working in these shops in Dublin.
Seriously, wouldn't it make more sense to hire local people rather than predominanly non-EU people (it seems it's mostly Pakistanis and Indians these days)?
Something fishy.

Mike 1972

They took our Jawbs................

So youve seen all their passports have you ?

bonerm

Yeah I do think there is too many. For one thing I remember going for an job interview on Parnell St (Dublin) once. I rang the employer saying I'd made it to Parnell St and asked for directions to the address itself. She told me "it's on the end of the street". I asked "which end?" She says "the end with the Centra shop on it".

.....It turned out there was a Centra on BOTH ends of the street.

Tchaikovsky

Mike 1972 wrote: »

They took our Jawbs................

Yawn

Linku

starbelgrade wrote: »

Well it's a lot easier to buy Irish products if you don't shop in these franchises.

Most of these shops are owned by Irish wholesellers who still source most of their products from within the country, unlike the supermarkets (Dunnes included) who have started bypassing Irish wholesellers for cheaper products from abroad. I don't know where you're suggesting going that stock a lot more Irish products, because between the convenience stores and the supermarkets, it's pretty much the same amount, and there's not one 'independent' shop anywhere near me anyway, and again it'd probably be the same deal...

yoshytoshy

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

By the wa, I've never, ever, ever seen an Irish person working in these shops in Dublin.
Seriously, wouldn't it make more sense to hire local people rather than predominanly non-EU people (it seems it's mostly Pakistanis and Indians these days)?
Something fishy.

It's not fishy ,they've always been working hard.
It's the recession thats the problem ,everyone else is loosing there jobs now.

stepbar

The only thing I'd EVER buy in a convience store would be Milk (and even at that only if you were stuck), a Paper and Cigarettes. Thats it. Because for anything else, you might as well go in with a sign on your back saying "Roide Me".....

The Big Red Button

darkman2 wrote: »

Cos they are the only shops now in my near enough vicinity.:rolleyes:

darkman2 wrote: »

No, I go to other stores when I can. But in my locality, i.e within 25 minute walking distance, these are the only two stores.

How convenient.

In fact, one could almost refer to them as "convenience stores".

You know, you could almost understand them charging a premium price to account for this "convenience" when it comes to opening hours and location ...

4zn76tysfajdxp

Dudess wrote: »

Is any other town/city in Ireland being swallowed up by a sea of Subway, like Cork?

There were some floods in Galway a few months ago.

Dudess

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

By the wa, I've never, ever, ever seen an Irish person working in these shops in Dublin.
Seriously, wouldn't it make more sense to hire local people rather than predominanly non-EU people (it seems it's mostly Pakistanis and Indians these days)?
Something fishy.

Cheaper labour, lack of interest from local people. It's hardly a "PC" policy of favouring foreigners.

mackeminexile

Seriously OP, have you nothing better to do. Blatant anti English rubbish. As for the posts about foreign nationals working in 'convenience' stores; it's because they are prepared to work mad hours for little money, instead of complaining that there's no work out there, unlike a lot of people.

mike65

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

By the wa, I've never, ever, ever seen an Irish person working in these shops in Dublin.
Seriously, wouldn't it make more sense to hire local people rather than predominanly non-EU people (it seems it's mostly Pakistanis and Indians these days)?
Something fishy.

My local Centra is quite large the prices are notably more competitive than a couple of years ago and is staffed mainly by Irish locals, however Lidl is still cheaper so i usualy go there where the staff are mainly east European.

starbelgrade

Linku wrote: »

Most of these shops are owned by Irish wholesellers who still source most of their products from within the country, unlike the supermarkets (Dunnes included) who have started bypassing Irish wholesellers for cheaper products from abroad. I don't know where you're suggesting going that stock a lot more Irish products, because between the convenience stores and the supermarkets, it's pretty much the same amount, and there's not one 'independent' shop anywhere near me anyway, and again it'd probably be the same deal...

My local shop stocks a huge amount of locally produced stuff, the fruit & veg shop sources everything it can from local farms (all the veg, and some fruit - some fruits obviously have to be imported) & the local butcher gets all his meat from his own farm, or other local producers.

And no, I don't live on the set of the "League of Gentlemen"!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

We sold out to the Brits years ago. Get over it. They're selling out to the yanks as we speak. Ig vie it five years before everything's a Wal-Mart.

Tchaikovsky

I said it was fishy because I doubt that the government are handing out that many work visas when there are nearly half a million unemployed here.
If they're here on student visas, however, they can only work part-time.

Dudess

They could still be working 30 hours a week though. They have massive student loans to repay.

starbelgrade

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Ig vie it five years before everything's a Wal-Mart.

Ig vie it five years? Ah, you german boys are just jealous that McDonalds did a better job of taking over the planet than youse did!

sron

I have no preference to a cashier of any particular colour; I am however, annoyed by the obscene amount of Spars, Centras, Londii, McDonalds and Burger Kings one can see by walking down Grafton St. through to the far end of O'Connell St. It's a pity that our two most famous cities are almost indistinguishable from any English street.
If the Corporation had any sense they'd put restrictions on the franchises and support independent businesses like in Paris or Rome. Instead they're probably concocting a plan to join the LUAS lines via the DART lines via the Grand Canal.

yoshytoshy

Tchaikovsky wrote: »

I said it was fishy because I doubt that the government are handing out that many work visas when there are nearly half a million unemployed here.
If they're here on student visas, however, they can only work part-time.

Any girls and guys I see working in spars ,work at least twelve hour shifts regurlarly.
If they were doing short hours to avoid paying tax ,then I'd be suspicous.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

starbelgrade wrote: »

Ig vie it five years? Ah, you german boys are just jealous that McDonalds did a better job of taking over the planet than youse did!

French.

Dudess

Have you been on the Buckfast, Ik?