Tommys Blanchardstown closes down.

Pacing Mule

I would have thought that this business would have been very well equipped to beat the recession in that it sold cheap and cheerful toys / birthday cards / decorations etc and if anything might have experienced an upturn with consumers turning away from luxury goods.

However it seems that massive and I mean MASSIVE rent, rates and service charges have done it in. Nearly 1 million euro per year before paying any other expenses.

Source independent.ie

THE OWNER of a toy shop last night defended his decision not to give staff any warning that the store was shutting down at close of business yesterday.
Speaking just before he handed his 17 workers their P45s, Fergal Crinnion said soaring rates and service charges had forced him to put Tommy's Wonderland at the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre into liquidation.
Mr Crinnion insisted there was nothing underhand about his decision to keep staff in the dark until the last minute saying: "With bad news, when you need to know it, you just need to hear it quickly."
Shocked staff last night expressed outrage to the Irish Independent after they learned by word of mouth on Friday that the business was being liquidated and their jobs were gone with immediate effect.
Just minutes after the last sale was rung up, the shutters came down and work on removing remaining stock from the shop began. The stock will be transported to a warehouse to be assessed by the liquidator. Workers, some of whom have worked at the shop for over 15 years, will receive statutory redundancy and holiday pay.
Vida Akauskien, who has worked in the shop for the past eight years, said: "I know the country is in an economic crisis but how can they treat people like that?"
Her colleague Georgina Herbert, who has worked in the shop for 25 years said: "This is an absolute nightmare. I have been crying non-stop since I found out.
"All the staff were told to collect their P45s this evening. Everybody is so upset. We all have mortgages and cars," she said.
The staff, which includes 17 full and part-time workers, said they discovered that the shop was due to go into liquidation from other traders in the shopping centre and had received no official notification from Mr Crinnion.
Last night before he met with staff, Mr Crinnion said he finally decided he had no choice but to liquidate the business at the end of last week. He said that if he had told staff about the imminent closure any earlier, some of them might not have turned up to work for the last few days.
He said his decision to liquidate the business was due to the high rates and service charges at the shopping centre. He said he had just received a bill of €102,000 for rates which he is currently appealing.
He said he was already paying service charges of €100,000 and annual rent of €760,000 and simply could not continue.
"I have to call 110 suppliers and tell them I can't pay them. I have a list in my pocket. It's very personal. Some of those people were at my wedding," Mr Crinnion said.
He said that at least the law ensured that staff would get statutory redundancy but they were still complaining. "They get their money either way," he said.
Mr Crinnion, who closed a shop in the Northside Shopping Centre earlier this year and another in Limerick three years ago, said it was a difficult decision to make. "It is like losing children, if that doesn't sound too dramatic," he said.

It's getting well beyond a joke at this stage. The property bubble has well and truly screwed us.

ronaldoshaky

Yes, unfortunately the greed of a few affects the rest of us.

partyatmygaff

OMG, I loved that shop. I used to love going there back as a young child.

For some reason I feel like saying RIP though :pac:

CrazyRabbit

€760,000 in rent per year for a shop that size????? Extortionate rent like that must be illegal. Or it should be!

Gaspode

One would imagine that the management of the centre would come to some arrangement with the tenants to reduce rent or arrange some other payback scheme in order to keep a shop in business rather than have a empty space for months while they get a new tenant.

Still, I guess we'll be getting another ladies clothes shop. Just cant have too many of those.

partyatmygaff

Gaspode wrote: »

Still, I guess we'll be getting another ladies clothes shop. Just cant have too many of those.

Guy:Incognito

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

€760,000 in rent per year for a shop that size????? Extortionate rent like that must be illegal. Or it should be!

Why.Its a free market. If they want to charge 100,000 a week then thats their choice, if someone is willing to pay it well and good. If not it's the landlords problem.

We either want a free market or not. I would n no way support private busineses being told what they can charge for what they are supplying.

Nevyn

Wonder who will get the school uniforms trade.

Pherekydes

Thaedydal wrote: »

Wonder who will get the school uniforms trade.

There's a number of other shops that cater for that sector, like Bernard Owens in Leixlip and Grants in Stoneybatter. Not sure what schools they cover though...

BostonB

Have to say I never thought much of that shop. It was full of rubbish, that was poor value for money. Very poor attitude towards the staff. Assuming the article is true.

Nevyn

Pherekydes wrote: »

There's a number of other shops that cater for that sector, like Bernard Owens in Leixlip and Grants in Stoneybatter. Not sure what schools they cover though...

Both of which are a considerable distance away.

It was find for what it was, cheap and cheerful for seasonal things like copies and and the school uniforms and bags will be missed, was only in there last thursday picking up a replacement school bag.

littlebitdull

Coolmine had already switched to grants for offical supplier of school uniforms.

Did the owners of tommy's also own the euro shop? The stuff seemed to be pretty much the same items.

I have to say - even in these recessionary times - the stuff was still just rubbish. So in all honesty cant say i will miss them.

Its more than a bit harsh on the staff to not give them some sort of notice. Its probably legal - but certainly not fair.

CrazyRabbit

Stekelly wrote: »

Why.Its a free market. If they want to charge 100,000 a week then thats their choice, if someone is willing to pay it well and good. If not it's the landlords problem.

We either want a free market or not. I would n no way support private busineses being told what they can charge for what they are supplying.

So you don't mind if the Blanch Centre owners make massive profits from extravagant rents which the retailers then have to pass onto it's customers, ie....us?

I'm all for private businesses making healthy profits, but when it become extortionate to the point where it puts retailers out of business & causes job losses then I have a problem with it.

Teddy Chips

This is terrible news. I imagine it would hit a working class area like Blanchardstown pretty hard.

January

Thaedydal wrote: »

Wonder who will get the school uniforms trade.

The Happy Events section of the shop is a seperate business and like the one in the Northside Shopping Centre is planning on staying open for business just in a different unit I think.

Jip

Teddy Chips wrote: »

This is terrible news. I imagine it would hit a working class area like Blanchardstown pretty hard.

That's gas, most in Blanchardstown are working class who can't afford to shop anywhere else but Tommys

Unwilling

If anyone knows where the Happy Events are going to trade, please post..... all that communion stock.... grrr I had the perfect dress picked out was heading there this weekend to buy it!!!

Guy:Incognito

CrazyRabbit wrote: »

So you don't mind if the Blanch Centre owners make massive profits from extravagant rents which the retailers then have to pass onto it's customers, ie....us?

I'm all for private businesses making healthy profits, but when it become extortionate to the point where it puts retailers out of business & causes job losses then I have a problem with it.

No I dont, its the way capitalism works. No one is forced to shop in the centre. If it's too expensive dont go, if shops are closing and the centre is losing money they will do things , like lower rent to encourage shops in.

We can either have a free market or we can let the government regulate everything, we cant pick and choose when it suites us. When they are making it illegal to rase rents above a certain level should they also do up a price list the shops are allowed sell things for while they are there?

AtomCannister

Unwilling wrote: »

If anyone knows where the Happy Events are going to trade, please post..... all that communion stock.... grrr I had the perfect dress picked out was heading there this weekend to buy it!!!

Should be open again on Friday, Saturday at the latest.

A new shop will be opening in Tommys. It will be better run under different ownership. It'll be similar to Tommys though.

Happy Events is still there

fuelinjection

I am not surprised - the rents are going up everywhere in Dublin and Cork. Was listening to Newstalk on Monday and they said the landlords are now pension funds in foreign countries.

Because the appartment rental market is going through the floor the companies are looking for small businesses to meet their investment returns. It is the only money around nowadays and they are hurting.

Powerhouse

Stekelly wrote: »

No I dont, its the way capitalism works. No one is forced to shop in the centre. If it's too expensive dont go, if shops are closing and the centre is losing money they will do things , like lower rent to encourage shops in.

We can either have a free market or we can let the government regulate everything, we cant pick and choose when it suites us. When they are making it illegal to rase rents above a certain level should they also do up a price list the shops are allowed sell things for while they are there?

You are confusing space rental contracts which are not productive per se but can cause enormous damage to the economy if the ability to reflect economic changes cannot be done quickly with the notion of guys in corner shops selling loaves of bread in a perfect competiton situation.

There is a strong argument for legislating for economic activity which just makes money from an asset and produces nothing for the economy. In fact it is done all the time, big dramas about the government regulating everything notwithstanding.

It is fine to say that new shops will come in, but in reality the centre will lose out on its variety of shops in favour of big profit shops. There's just one travel agent there now. There's just one music shop there now. It is of course inevitable that when you promote competition one of the likely outcomes is that you end up with a monopoly which appears to defeat the purpose. Then again perhaps you think that's good as long as it complies with the lesons of Economics 101. But one wonders how many kickings capitalism has to take before people stop suggesting it as the solution to all problems.

deelite

Finglas Village has turned into a ghost town - all because a property developer bought up units and increased the rents. Most of these shops had been run by the same people for years. They asked for the rent to remain the same but were turned down. So these units are now sitting empty.

Zwillinge

Curiously how does Tommys not do well, while FCUK and BT2 are still going?? Especially when I don't see a soul in FCUK

Gaspode

Some clothing stores always seem to survive no matter what.

oblivious

Zwillinge wrote: »

Curiously how does Tommys not do well, while FCUK and BT2 are still going?? Especially when I don't see a soul in FCUK

FCUK is an international brand that can spread it loss over more productive stores

AtomCannister

AtomCannister wrote: »

Should be open again on Friday, Saturday at the latest.

A new shop will be opening in Tommys. It will be better run under different ownership. It'll be similar to Tommys though.

Happy Events is still there

Been lengthened to Monday apparently

Diddler1977

Unwilling wrote: »

If anyone knows where the Happy Events are going to trade, please post..... all that communion stock.... grrr I had the perfect dress picked out was heading there this weekend to buy it!!!

There is a phone number stuck to the window of Tommy's that you can ring in relation to Happy Events. Or it said contact customer service in the Blanch Centre for info.

Rud

sorry to see that place go:(

rolion

Sorry to hear that place going down due to some unknown reasons ! Sorry for the staff...

Was a good place to get in with a fiver and always something nice and useful to buy ! Looked like one of them Eastern European bazar/markets... everything and nothing !

glossy

it's re-opened, not sure if it's the same but it's very similar

under another name dont remember the name though

plus they have school uniform

Stinjy

opened again under a new name and looks exactly the same!!! Has anyone been in it to confirm that it is actually the exact same just with a different name?!

Diddler1977

I think it is called "Mr Price" or something similar - I just glanced at it as I passed.....

Justin10

I went in today has a lot of better stuff, etc stuff for dogs, cars etc but does seem to have different stock. but alot the same too.

rolion

that looks/seems strange...
new company,new staff,NEW WAGES ( i bet they are reduced)...quite peculiar !

phasers

The new one is much tidier but seems to stock mostly the same stuff, all the staff are different ...

Michellenman

I work in the centre and there was people I work with saying that apparently some member of the centre admin came up to the manager with a bill and he freaked, told them that he pays them enough in rent as it is without them just turning up out of the blue with more bills. Told them to feck themselves and shut the shop down. Dunno how true that is though obviously.

Zapp Brannigan

Michellenman wrote: »

I work in the centre and there was people I work with saying that apparently some member of the centre admin came up to the manager with a bill and he freaked, told them that he pays them enough in rent as it is without them just turning up out of the blue with more bills. Told them to feck themselves and shut the shop down. Dunno how true that is though obviously.

Something similar happened in Northside as well.

BostonB

Thats seems very strange

January

Not that strange, The Jean Scene have opened under a new name "The Josef Store" and have all the same stock too.

BostonB

I know it happens but it likes there isn't really a problem in the first place if you can reopen a few days later. So what happened then?

Stinjy

I went intoday as I was passing.. Alot tidyer! much easier to see things but man do they have alot of food items... But for good prices, My can of tango was 50c!

Stench Blossoms

That's really crap if they didn't hire back any of the old staff.

AtomCannister

They have a few of the same staff but it's mostly different staff.

It's better run.

There are still uniforms and communion stuff in the back.

BostonB

How do you know it's better run? It's hardly open?