Shops Closing in Athlone

BambooBob

Been working in Athlone for the past number of years. It has frightened me how many retail units have come and gone since. Since Xmas 10 around 5 units have gone between Dunnes in Irishtown and the River Shannon. The Texas Centre is a disgrace. I'm not sure if Athlone can sustain retail parks, shopping centres and individual shop units. I think the town council need to look at themselves. There is little or no incentive to come into town. Paid parking and traffic. The town centre looks shabby. Its fantastic for Athlone that Burgess are on Church St. They are something different and unique to Athlone. A fine department store. The other bug bear is where is the main street in Athlone. I'm told by locals it was Church St but you wouldn't think it now. Any thoughts anybody on these issues? Interested in people's opinions. Has the council approached local traders to co-operate in getting life back into the town centre? etc

IPushButtons

keithj75 wrote: »

5 units have gone between Dunnes and the River Shannon.

Haven't some of them just moved ? Please give examples to support your statement, with out examples this is just an opinion not a fact (from the readers perspective)

keithj75 wrote: »

The Texas Centre is a disgrace.

The Texas Centre failed due to market forces, your use of the word disgrace characterises you as a whinger. People didnt want to shop there that's why it close there's noting disgraceful about that

keithj75 wrote: »

I'm not sure if Athlone can sustain retail parks, shopping centres and individual shop units.

It's obvious it can't in the recession, the shopping centre were built when the economy was in relatively good shape. The people who built them never thought that the recession would be as bad as it is.

keithj75 wrote: »

Paid parking

If there was free parking then some people would park in those spaces all day and then paying customers would have no where to park, which would hurt business

keithj75 wrote: »

traffic.

I'm interested in hearing your solution to this problem. Really if you have one please share or is your intention just to bitch and moan ??

keithj75 wrote: »

The town centre looks shabby.

Again no examples or reason given in support of your statement

keithj75 wrote: »

The other bug bear is where is the main street in Athlone. I'm told by locals it was Church St but you wouldn't think it now.

Again no examples or reasons given in support of your statement

Please see me after class :D

BambooBob

I welcome your response and the opportunity to respond.

1.Serrano, Clothes Line, Clothes shop (old bradbury's unit), Wood B Designs, Devernois is closing shortly and Reeves Art Study is closing. Healing Earth is now down to two days a week at the moment.
2. If you are on St Mary's Square the back of the Texas Centre looks truly awful. Having such a big place empty is in itself a commentary on retail life in the town.
3. If you live in Athlone then you will see precisely why the town looks shabby. Peeling shop fronts, closed units, have you been to Connaught Street lately? How did the council allow Dunnes to have just ONE window the whole length of John Broderick Street. Amazing. It looks awful.
4. Athlone was never big enough to support three strands of retailing be it good times or not. The population is simply not there.
5. In Mullingar you know where the main street is. Same with Longford. It has a presence, level of activity and status that tells you its the main street, Sadly Athlone doesn't have such a street. Which is a shame.

neaideabh

keithj75 wrote: »

I welcome your response and the opportunity to respond.

1.Serrano, Clothes Line, Clothes shop (old bradbury's unit), Wood B Designs, Devernois is closing shortly and Reeves Art Study is closing. Healing Earth is now down to two days a week at the moment.
2. If you are on St Mary's Square the back of the Texas Centre looks truly awful. Having such a big place empty is in itself a commentary on retail life in the town.
3. If you live in Athlone then you will see precisely why the town looks shabby. Peeling shop fronts, closed units, have you been to Connaught Street lately? How did the council allow Dunnes to have just ONE window the whole length of John Broderick Street. Amazing. It looks awful.
4. Athlone was never big enough to support three strands of retailing be it good times or not. The population is simply not there.

Alot of shops closing... but that is because of a number of reasons... the biggest being the recession. few jobs, little money out there... banks not giving money out to businesses, another reason is the commercial rates. They were talking about it on Joe Duffy today. Some business owners are experiencing commercial rate hikes of up to 600% since 2007... IN A RECESSION!!! And anyways... who fancies going in to mellow out in a restaurant with a load of hippies as the name Healing Earth suggests???

Have to agree with you on the Texas point though! I think it was a disgrace that it was aloud to happen. I knew it would never take off! I you were ever in the one in Tullamore, you see that it is just a very basic large building that was made in to a department store with minimal expense! And his stock were all brand rip off's. (He even got into trouble for selling condoms that were a rip off of durex or something which says it all) So trying to apply the same business model an old building from the 70's in Athlone was never going to work. Especially with plenty of retail units in the town. In fairness, trying to make anything successful out of the old shopping centre site without knocking it down would be near impossible imo! It should not been allowed to be built! Don't know how the town planners let it happen!

Ah.... good old Connaught street.... It has been like that for years and in fairness it is looking better! The new apartment complex there have reduced the eyesore a bit and the it one or new buildings popping up! There are a few pubs there and one or 2 have closed down but that is simply a nationwide problem. Town centre pubs are losing alot of trade because of our ever changing lifestyles! But Connaught street is a central location where value will be realised in terms of commerce and a living quarters. IT may not be straight away but a few years down the raod, this part of town will look better!

Athlone may not have the population to support whatever amount of retailing but I have to take the contrary position here! Well about why it can support the large number of retailers anyway... Athlone, it is in a central position! The whole marketing position that the Town Centre takes is to provide "Big City Shopping" without having to go to Dublin! And to be honest, this position is working! Customers are travelling from all parts to shop here. Well, when I say all parts, I mean the catchment area which would be from Mayo and Galway, to Dublin (1hr 15mins away), from the border counties to Laois and Tipperary. And going by reports, despite initial poor trading the centre is performing well. To add to this, Golden Island is as busy as it ever was, well, not as busy as the 1st three years as the likes of Argos have opened in Galway since, but it is still performing extremely well.

So... a few shops are closing but, Athlone's large abundance of retailers is feasible and sustainable. And when (whenever that will be) come out of recession, the town will capitalise on what it has to offer!

BambooBob

Nice to see some optimism and a good post. You are correct to say that the recession is having a serious impact on retail nationwide. However in the few years there has been here units that are surviving in other locations have closed down here McDonalds, Au Meme Du Pareil, Rene Cusack, Sony Shop, Heartbeat City are all open in other towns recession et al.

I love ATC I think its classy but wonder was it pitched a little too high given that Athlone is a country town. Golden Island is as busy as ever, and has the likes of Tesco, Pennies and Argos who do well wherever they are. Of course free parking helps.

Connaught St is a sad reminders of good times now long gone. The apartment complex is indeed lovely but does it not highlight how decrepit the rest of the street is?

tubos

keithj75 wrote: »

Been working in Athlone for the past number of years. It has frightened me how many retail units have come and gone since.

I was in a shop in Athlone the other day, one that has been around for years, and the owner was saying the same thing and saying that there'll be a lot of closures coming. He himself was on the verge. It's sad but hopefully things can pick up soon, but not looking likely with this 4 year plan!

neaideabh

keithj75 wrote: »

Nice to see some optimism and a good post. You are correct to say that the recession is having a serious impact on retail nationwide. However in the few years there has been here units that are surviving in other locations have closed down here McDonalds, Au Meme Du Pareil, Rene Cusack, Sony Shop, Heartbeat City are all open in other towns recession et al.

I love ATC I think its classy but wonder was it pitched a little too high given that Athlone is a country town. Golden Island is as busy as ever, and has the likes of Tesco, Pennies and Argos who do well wherever they are. Of course free parking helps.

Connaught St is a sad reminders of good times now long gone. The apartment complex is indeed lovely but does it not highlight how decrepit the rest of the street is?

There have been alot of closures alright here... but look at it this way! Alot were to do with holding company insolvency. IE: Zaavi, Barretts shoes, Pepe jeans, etc. These shops closures are not as a result of under performing in Athlone! If they were a sole entity, they'd be still here! Look at Jacks and Jones and Vera Moda. They were part of a chain that went into receivership, however, due to negotiations with creditors, they were allowed to keep performing shops remain open which included Athlone! That is testament to the viability of the town centre.

Location is a big factor with regard to a businesses success. Infact Location, Location, Location is the 3 biggest things in business. Heartbeat city didn't have a hope of performing in the old shopping centre! Especially as there was no footfall, but put the store on the mainstreet, Golden Island or the Town Centre and it would do well!

To ad to this point of location, Mc Donalds has closed down but this is because they were not happy with the current location but were just living out it's lease. They are now set to take over Mary's of Athlone unit.

So, to finish, Athlone has proven that it holds the keys to make its' retailers sustainable. Connaught st. doesn't lok the best, but in time it will. And as happens in nearly every other town and city in the world, when Connaught street gets a major regeneration, there will be a street that takes it's place as the most dalapidated street, etc.

Then you have the "ifs", that could transform the town altogether that would make this thread null and void. They are, the possibility of an "international" airport and "chinatown". While the prospect of these coming to Athlone, might be laughable, they are in fact "real" possibilities. There is alot of money being invested in viability projects of these developments which means that it is serious business. So, whatever we say here. and these developments get the green lights, we ain't seen nothing yet!

BambooBob

Fair play I'm loving your optimism. i'd be surprised if Mary's closed down but McDonald's could do well there given its such a visible corner however parking could be an issue. time will tell how things pan out.

neaideabh

keithj75 wrote: »

Fair play I'm loving your optimism. i'd be surprised if Mary's closed down but McDonald's could do well there given its such a visible corner however parking could be an issue. time will tell how things pan out.

I'm sorry but my points are not optimistic. They are fact! and I don't think Parking is a real issue here either! Mc Donalds in Mary's would be a high street store. They would not be relying on people parking up and dining inside. They would be relying on passing trade. Also they would be targeting young revellers out for the night that they couldn't target before in the other location at Golden Island!

BambooBob

Neideabh apologies I re read my earlier post and i might have sounded sneery. Completely unattended. I would welcome McDonald's taking the Mary's unit as I love McD's and it would keep the unit occupied.

tubos

I wouldn't be sad to see Marys go. Whoever owns the place has got no regard whatsoever for their customers.

Bizzylady

keithj75 - there is a meeting in The Prince of Wales Hotel, Athlone tonight to discuss the empty premises issue in Athlone if you are still interested in this topic.

BoB_BoT

neaideabh wrote: »

And anyways... who fancies going in to mellow out in a restaurant with a load of hippies as the name Healing Earth suggests???

I've a funny feeling you may be thinking of Circle of Life, unless you enjoy eating candles and incense.

Woops just realised how old this thread is, I didn't bring it back to life :P

IPushButtons

BoB_BoT wrote: »

Last edited by BoB_BoT; 21-07-2011 at 20:53. Reason: I seen the zombie

Zombies are wrecking the country taking our jobs and women, not to mention the liberties there taking with the social welfare system, i hope you shot em on sight.

ronin182

if the zombies start forming unions then we're all futtbucked.