Amount of businesses closing in Carlow at the moment.

Queen-Mise

It is quite shocking around the town to see the amount of businesses that have closed. Some of these shops etc have been here since I moved to Carlow 10 years ago.

Byrnes closing in Fairgreen
Bookshop in Superquinn SC
Josep (??) in Superquinn SC
Boscos on Tullow Street
These 4 have been open for 10 years. Sad to see them go.

More businesses have closed in Superquinn SC but they were there a short time, so kudos for opening, it is a pity that it didn't succeed for them.

tommycahir

Queen-Mise wrote: »

Boscos on Tullow Street

Wow that's a bit of a shock, hadn't heard anything about that, but i guess that the main business for them at this stage must be in fairgreen with the footfall there.

tombull82

Boots are coming to Carlow in short.

I believe they are mad after the Byrnes Fairgreen spot and have been for a while.


On other news, I believe Brynes give up the Fairgreen Spot as the rates were being up'd excessively for them.

I heard each of these "rumors" from 2 different sources but when put together it kind of made sense what "Might" be going on....

ottostreet

Bargain Books in Superquinn is gone.
Empire Records is gone.

It's getting depressing to see that place.

J_Wholesale

ottostreet wrote: »

Bargain Books in Superquinn is gone.
Empire Records is gone.

It's getting depressing to see that place.

But how much of that is down to the economy, and how much to the Internet and mp3 sales? I haven't bought a book in a bookshop in years, and I haven't set foot in a record shop in over 5 years. There's nothing i could have bought in either of those shops that I couldn't have bought cheaper (sometimes well cheaper) online.

testicle

Queen-Mise wrote: »

It is quite shocking around the town to see the amount of businesses that have closed. Some of these shops etc have been here since I moved to Carlow 10 years ago.

Byrnes closing in Fairgreen
Bookshop in Superquinn SC
Josep (??) in Superquinn SC
Boscos on Tullow Street
These 4 have been open for 10 years. Sad to see them go.

More businesses have closed in Superquinn SC but they were there a short time, so kudos for opening, it is a pity that it didn't succeed for them.

3 of the 4 have shops elsewhere in town and are consolidating.

krustydoyle

Interesting that Boots are moving into Fairgreen.. Sam Macauleys won't be too happy...

91011

tombull82 wrote: »

Boots are coming to Carlow in short.

I believe they are mad after the Byrnes Fairgreen spot and have been for a while.


On other news, I believe Brynes give up the Fairgreen Spot as the rates were being up'd excessively for them.

I heard each of these "rumors" from 2 different sources but when put together it kind of made sense what "Might" be going on....

Boots won't get into fairgreen (sam mccauleys will have exclusivity in their lease) - Easons may be interested though.

As for why Byrnes moved out - a 30% increase in what was already a high rent was demanded. Simply not possible for a retailer in these times to pay that on top on excessive commercial rates charged in Carlow.

Personally I smell a rat on the byrnes thing - and my guess is the centre has someone lined up for the unit. Again, my guess is Easons. ( and I bet they'll be paying a lower rent)

Retail Hell

I have been in Carlow since I left college, how are Tullys, Scrags, and the Dinn RI, are they all still open?

SIX PACK

Shur those 3 drinking places are amoung the busiest in town,

slimjimmc

I don't recall seeing the Dinn Rí or Brooks being particularly busy in a long time, Friday and Saturday nights are much quieter than Scraggs, The Barracks or The Med Bar.
It seems to be living off the lunch trade and night clubs.

Super-Rush

When did HeartBeat City open?

patrickc

super-rush wrote: »

When did HeartBeat City open?

2 or 3 weeks before xmas.

royalcarlowgc

Retail Hell wrote: »

I have been in Carlow since I left college, how are Tullys, Scrags, and the Dinn RI, are they all still open?

Scraggs is gone very quiet, all the younger crowd are going to Tullys now (which was dead for 4-5 years), all the late twenties crowd are going to the Med Bar. Dinn Ri is always ticking over nicely.

SIX PACK

Thats emigration for ya & its only going to get worse (way worse) unfortunatly, no one has as much disposable income anymore . . .

Irish Guitarist

I don't think it's that shocking really. I've lived here all my life and I've seen plenty of shops come and go. I still miss The Rock And Pop Shop (or was it the Rock 'N Pop Shop?) myself. I used to buy patches for my denim jacket there. :cool:

It doesn't surprise me that The Josef Store is closing. The clothes there are either terrible quality or way too expensive.

Actually I'm sure a lot of shops are closing down in Carlow because they're not very good rather than because of the economy. For instance someone mentioned Empire Records closing down. I can see why that would happen. They had a handful of chart CDs that you could buy in any supermarket in Carlow. I like looking around in record shops but they just never had anything interesting there. I think they had more phones than CDs.

pinkfloyd34

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

I don't think it's that shocking really.


Actually I'm sure a lot of shops are closing down in Carlow because they're not very good rather than because of the economy. For instance someone mentioned Empire Records closing down. I can see why that would happen. .

totally agree with this, times are changing, record shops are a thing of the past, its not the economy, same for book shops, you can get a kindle now with a library of books and just buy it off the net with delivery to your door, you just download your music or youtube it for free

foxinsox

Another shop closed..

I was in Fairgreen on Sunday and Euroworld is closed and gone!!

TaosHum

Speaking of pubs in Carlow, the new pub Carpe Diem seems to get a good bit of business on the weekends. Not a big fan of the place though.

Queen-Mise

the bagel shop/factory has closed down.

The clothes shop & hairdressers beside abrakebabra have also both closed, both of them were open 11 years or more

bluefirefly

Queen-Mise wrote: »

the bagel shop/factory has closed down.

The clothes shop & hairdressers beside abrakebabra have also both closed, both of them were open 11 years or more

those I can tell you its the company that owns the land thats forcing them to leave!
I know someone who owns a shop down there. He has a 10 or 20 years lease with Fairgreen but now they're trying to rasie the rent and make the lease shorter!! Guess they want those space for further development in the future and dont want to pay compensation!

its sad to go into town and see so many empty shops...:(

91011

bluefirefly wrote: »

I know someone who owns a shop down there. He has a 10 or 20 years lease with Fairgreen but now they're trying to rasie the rent and make the lease shorter!!

You can't shorten a lease that's already granted and once the lease is over 5 years, a lessee has rights to a new lease.

But Fairgreen are raising rents and have allowed retailers who do not want to stay, to get out of their leases. - Why this is, is anybody's guess. There's certainly no room for extra retail in Carlow.

Queen-Mise

bluefirefly wrote: »

those I can tell you its the company that owns the land thats forcing them to leave!
I know someone who owns a shop down there. He has a 10 or 20 years lease with Fairgreen but now they're trying to rasie the rent and make the lease shorter!! Guess they want those space for further development in the future and dont want to pay compensation!

its sad to go into town and see so many empty shops...:(

That makes no sense. First things first - Bagel factory wasn't in the Fairgreen.

And secondly - what future developments are going to be taking place in the economy. Ireland will be hard pressed to fill the current empty shops and houses in the next 10-15 years.

Bagel Factory closed down through lack of business, I'd say, rather than any actions on their landlord.

91011

Looks like Birthdays are the next store to close.

Irish operation placed into receivership yesterday and little hope for any buyer to come forward due once again to excessive rents and the absolute refusal of landlords to reduce them - well tough luck to the shopping centre landlords around the country, you now have 14 extra empty shops paying zero rent.

tombull82

91011 wrote: »

Looks like Birthdays are the next store to close.

Irish operation placed into receivership yesterday and little hope for any buyer to come forward due once again to excessive rents and the absolute refusal of landlords to reduce them - well tough luck to the shopping centre landlords around the country, you now have 14 extra empty shops paying zero rent.

Makes the blood boil doesn't it...:mad:

ottostreet

Closed already.


Well done Fairgreen.

I see the Roxy Group are being liquidated too, so Eurprice or whatever its called is gone now too.

Queen-Mise

ottostreet wrote: »

Closed already.


Well done Fairgreen.

I see the Roxy Group are being liquidated too, so Eurprice or whatever its called is gone now too.

And the shop of Europrice is still fully stocked, I saw that as I was walking past it today, only the tills were empty.

mneylon

I hadn't been around the centre of the town in months and what I saw yesterday was pretty shocking.
A lot of places boarded up.

What's odd though is that Eddie Rocket's just opened and there's meant to be new O'Brien's cafe going in where the Bagel Factory was.

Will they be able to survive?

91011

Blacknight wrote: »

Ithere's meant to be new O'Brien's cafe going in where the Bagel Factory was.

Will they be able to survive?

O'Briens & Bagel factory are the same operator. - Both owned by the Abrakebabra Group. - So its more a switch of branding that is going on there.

byhookorbycrook

On a small plus, the discount book place has re-opened under a different name in Superquinn.

Queen-Mise

byhookorbycrook wrote: »

On a small plus, the discount book place has re-opened under a different name in Superquinn.

Glad to hear that - I liked that place

Nead21

Clothes shop on dublin st is also gone... Closet or something (not sure of name) ??

Lowry's furniture is also closing

lotdpd

not closet.... think its bourbon where colemans bicycle shop us to be?

Nead21

yeah that's the place.

the boutique across the road from there on the corner, Harmonie (i think!!) is also gone awhile now.

Frynge

the shop further down dublin st, soliel will also be closing in the next week or so

Quiet Lurker

If a stranger was to look at this thread they would think that everything in carlow was just closing. Yes, retail businesses have felt the brunt of the recession and good businesses have closed in Carlow. I see also that unfortunately Aisling's optician on Tullow street has closed but I presume that the owner herself will pop up to serve her customers in another business soon.

Walking in town yesterday I see that there is a new make up shop "Foundations" beside Tullys. There are new clothes shops "Rockabellas" and "Maison" on Castle street. Lotts have opened beside Amber Sky and there is a new Pizza place beside the Taxi Rank
Eddie Rockets have opened in Shamrock Plaza and seem to be doing a bomb. Quigleys have a lovely coffee shop beside it and a new hairdressers (Berlin) opened a few months ago in the same building. The word is also about that UNUM will have a sizable expansion there during the summer also.
Crottys have opened beside SuperValu on Hacketstown Road and Boyle sports have taken the last free unit there. Lidl on the Tullow Road are expanding also.
So while things are very difficult there are still people who are taking risks in the area opening new businesses and they deserve our support. Well done to all

wolrac

I'm surprised that there aren't more businesses closed. If Wills are working on the Flood Relief/Drainage Scheme outside your premises you would be better off cutting your losses and closing untiil they are finished.

questioner

on the positive side , the supermarket in pollerton has extended its carpark, making it exponentially easier to get in and out (tastiest cooked chicken in town IMHO)

on the negative side, macs in kilkenny is closed (as far as i can tell) , cant imagine the ones in carlow are doing a whole lot better

TaosHum

Terry Kane's Gala shop on the Burrin Road is finishing up today.

ShayK1

TaosHum wrote: »

Terry Kane's Gala shop on the Burrin Road is finishing up today.

seriously?

EDIT: What about the ATM ? Is that being moved or gone too?

slimjimmc

questioner wrote: »

on the positive side , the supermarket in pollerton has extended its carpark, making it exponentially easier to get in and out (tastiest cooked chicken in town IMHO)

on the negative side, macs in kilkenny is closed (as far as i can tell) , cant imagine the ones in carlow are doing a whole lot better

That would be Rath's Londis, which is not in Pollerton but is on the Pollerton Road

(just is case anyone confuses this with the SuperValu supermarket which is in or at least on the edge of Pollerton.)

Nead21

TaosHum wrote: »

Terry Kane's Gala shop on the Burrin Road is finishing up today.

Am genuinely shocked this place is closed..it's my local shop and i'm always in and out, and it always struck me as a busy little spot. Anyone any info on why it closed?

testicle

Nead21 wrote: »

Am genuinely shocked this place is closed..it's my local shop and i'm always in and out, and it always struck me as a busy little spot. Anyone any info on why it closed?

It used to be my local shop too. From what I remember, they were quite expensive compared to other shops, and with Tesco just around the corner, I'm sure it wouldn't have helped!

TaosHum

Nead21 wrote: »

Am genuinely shocked this place is closed..it's my local shop and i'm always in and out, and it always struck me as a busy little spot. Anyone any info on why it closed?

All I can say is that the owner was working as a butcher in another shop, along with owing his shop. So I would say it was down strictly to not getting the business.

Now someone else may go into it somewhere along the line, but Terry Kane has finished up there anyway.

foggy_lad

is Pizza hut closed? i went by it on the track down to the bus stop the other night and there was lights on outside at the sides and back but no life inside. this was around 9.30pm.

testicle

foggy_lad wrote: »

is Pizza hut closed? i went by it on the track down to the bus stop the other night and there was lights on outside at the sides and back but no life inside. this was around 9.30pm.

Was this Thursday?

nagero

Just passed by and it's open and has a few for lunch. I think the river side of it has raised seating that they don't always use unless they're very full.

kevin

foundry

Gala shop was open tonight at 8

Nead21

Yeah saw that it was reopened alright. It's a franchise so maybe someone else just took it over straight away. I'm very glad to have it back.

foggy_lad

testicle wrote: »

Was this Thursday?

It could well have been thursday, maybe they just closed up early due to unforseen circumstances or had staff training?

testicle

foggy_lad wrote: »

It could well have been thursday, maybe they just closed up early due to unforseen circumstances or had staff training?

Or because it was Paddy's Day?