32 year battle to get Marks&Spencer to Limerick

augusta24

Moving to Limerick soon and just wondering if there is a Marks and Spencers anywhere in the city, or even close by??

Kess73

None in Limerick, and will not be one for a few years at the very earliest.

The nearest M&S to Limerick is the one in Clonmel in county Tipperary, and the nearest big M&S is in Merchants Quay in Cork city.

Vanolder

augusta24 wrote: »

Moving to Limerick soon and just wondering if there is a Marks and Spencers anywhere in the city, or even close by??

Afraid not.... But we have euro stores by the dozen.

europa11

Pre death of the Tiger M&S were supposed to move into the doomed "Opera Centre" in the city, then they were talking about locating in The Crescent Shopping Centre on the Doughnut Ring.

Cork would be your best bet for a while, unlikely to be opening up any new stores in this country for some time imo.

Conor Bourke

The one in Clonmel isn't very hectic. I stopped in at it a few times when I used to drive the N24 for work, otherwise I'd never have bothered. Cork one is much better.

tfitzgerald

Vanolder wrote: »

Afraid not.... But we have euro stores by the dozen.

Love this post it's so true we are going to go from stab city to euro shop city:)

augusta24

Thanks all, I dont live anywhere near one at the moment and was hoping I soon would be but never mind!

Mc Love

Dont get the big draw of M&S - its really nothing spectacular

nursextreme

The Limerick Marks and Spencers debate has been going on for decades, will they wont they? The George Hotel mentioned at one stage as far as I can remember. At least we have the "Chicken Hut"

Conor Bourke

Mc Love wrote: »

Dont get the big draw of M&S - its really nothing spectacular

Neither do I tbh, the only thing I ever buy in there is bras! :pac:

Mc Love

And most of the food they sell is british with a great big union jack on it, so I would think that would have an almost negative effect on irish people buying it

augusta24

Mc Love wrote: »

And most of the food they sell is british with a great big union jack on it, so I would think that would have an almost negative effect on irish people buying it

Not exactly when the food is far nicer and much better quality.

europa11

Mc Love wrote: »

Dont get the big draw of M&S - its really nothing spectacular

Have to admit I don't see anything so utterly fantastic about their stores that makes it stand out from the others either. But it does seem to have a strong brand following in this country, for example they don't need to advertise on RTE because almost every presenter in that place plugs "M&S" as if their lives depend on the place.

As for the food hall, I have visited the M&S stores in Dublin, Cork and Liverpool over the years and their food stores seemed top heavy on presentation and over-reliant on teh brand. I did buy some goods there but found them as good as but not better than anything i could buy locally.

Again though, I know people who swear by the stuff and in one instance, a woman who takes a weekly trip to M&S in Cork to stock up there!

As a final aside, if only that someone would move in and develop that eyesore in Patrick Street I wouldn't care if it was M&S, Carrefour, Karstadt or feckin' Bloomingdales......just level those crumbling blocks before they fall down and kill people.

Villa05

Give me an Aldi over M&S anyday

No st11te marketing, good quality and low prices - Thank you Germany

Berty

If anybody has visisted a Hypermarket in France then I say "Give me a Carrefour any day".

My former colleague whom informed me about the M&S being added to the Irish store listing a few months ago has...................well removed me from her friends on facebook.

Either way I'm not going asking her really.

Although you could craft a letter

Dear M&S,

Please rent the old Dunnes building on "The Bridge".

Signed,

Hungry Boardsie

You don't need a Super M&S like Liffey Valley. An M&S like Merchants Quay or Grafton Street would do just fine.

Liam Byrne

According to their website they don't even have any in Ireland! It's not even listed in the country drop-down!

http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/where/international_stores

Kess73

Beer Baron wrote: »

If anybody has visisted a Hypermarket in France then I say "Give me a Carrefour any day".

My former colleague whom informed me about the M&S being added to the Irish store listing a few months ago has...................well removed me from her friends on facebook.

Either way I'm not going asking her really.

Although you could craft a letter

Stalking is bad. :pac:

bigpink

:DHere we go again
http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/business/limerick_s_32_year_long_battle_to_get_marks_spencer_in_city_1_3293117

Kess73

It is embarrassing at this stage the amount of M&S stories that get run in the Limerick Leader. Real small time stuff to be giving constant soundbytes to the media about them.


Much smaller towns than Limerick were able to get the finger out and get M&S stores set up in them. In Limerick though they just start stories about M&S coming to retail centres that in most cases are not even there.

The Leader must run five or six stories a year about "renewed interest" in one site or another in terms of M&S going there.

Had to laugh at the bit where it says that M&S have been wooed by the city council about taking a unit in the Opera centre. Yeah I am sure that they would be dead keen to come to a project that has never gotten off the ground but that still manged to rack up a near €100m loss.

Itsdacraic

I cringe everytime I see our "leaders" begging for an M&S.
It's a fuppin supermarket for crying out loud.

xsiborg

i dare you walk into the city council offices and shout "M&S, DO IT!"...

bigpink

How would a House Of Frazier go down in Limerick?

TestTransmission

I don't get the big deal about Marks & Spencer.I think ye are all a bit obsessed

Kess73

bigpink wrote: »

How would a House Of Frazier go down in Limerick?

I think he prefers his penthouse in Seattle.:p

Itsdacraic

We already had a Lapellos and that hardly lastest a year

TestTransmission

Itsdacraic wrote: »

We already had a Lapellos and that hardly lastest a year

Le Chic/La Chique lasted quite a bit longer :pac:

marienbad

What is the obsession with M&S ? The only thing people buy there on a regular basis is underwear for fcuk sake . People go on like it was the second coming.. we're saved , we're saved M&S is coming, Hallelujah ,Hallelujah.

At least they will have clean underwear when they come before the pearly gates

europa11

Could never understand the fuss about this store. Although the British-printed rag known as "The Leader" can't seem to get enough mileage out of yet another "M&S is coming" banner headline. I can only imagine what the inside pages of that glorified ass-wipe contains.

Mind you considering what passes for a City Council in Limerick and in particular the present mayoral team, M&S must indeed seem like heaven arriving on earth.

More in their line to knock down that eye-sore at the ridiculously titled 'Opera Centre' site and at least create some parking space - as well as brighten up the area a bit - better that than what's there now.

Speaking of which, would it kill them to put up a few more streetlamps in the city centre?

frank gallagher

it will happen

when the coonagh cimena is finished

Jofspring

europa11 wrote: »

Speaking of which, would it kill them to put up a few more streetlamps in the city centre?

Passed through town tonight and there was new lights on on William Street till about half way up. They where very bright, really lit up the street.

marienbad

europa11 wrote: »

Could never understand the fuss about this store. Although the British-printed rag known as "The Leader" can't seem to get enough mileage out of yet another "M&S is coming" banner headline. I can only imagine what the inside pages of that glorified ass-wipe contains.

Mind you considering what passes for a City Council in Limerick and in particular the present mayoral team, M&S must indeed seem like heaven arriving on earth.

More in their line to knock down that eye-sore at the ridiculously titled 'Opera Centre' site and at least create some parking space - as well as brighten up the area a bit - better that than what's there now.

Speaking of which, would it kill them to put up a few more streetlamps in the city centre?

Yeah , have to agree with you on the naming of the 'Opera Centre' , what is it with this grandiosity ? Talk about confusing the few tourists we do get- ''No there is no music in the Opera Centre, but feel free to hum a tune if you like''.

Mc Love

TestTransmission wrote: »

I don't get the big deal about Marks & Spencer.I think ye are all a bit obsessed

Itsdacraic wrote: »

I cringe everytime I see our "leaders" begging for an M&S.
It's a fuppin supermarket for crying out loud.

marienbad wrote: »

What is the obsession with M&S ? The only thing people buy there on a regular basis is underwear for fcuk sake . People go on like it was the scond coming.. we're saved , we're saved M&S is coming, Hallelujah ,Halleelujah.

At least they will have clean underwear when they come before the pearly gates

europa11 wrote: »

Could never understand the fuss about this store. Although the British-printed rag known as "The Leader" can't seem to get enough mileage out of yet another "M&S is coming" banner headline. I can only imagine what the inside pages of that glorified ass-wipe contains.

Mind you considering what passes for a City Council in Limerick and in particular the present mayoral team, M&S must indeed seem like heaven arriving on earth.

More in their line to knock down that eye-sore at the ridiculously titled 'Opera Centre' site and at least create some parking space - as well as brighten up the area a bit - better that than what's there now.

Speaking of which, would it kill them to put up a few more streetlamps in the city centre?

Where the hell have you lot been? I thought I was only one on Limerick Boards to think it was crazy and that people are obsessed with M&S

oh lets go to cork to go to M&S - jesus its hardly Harrod's FFS

scholar007

Aren't the yanks gonna stop using shannon coz it's too close to Limerick and they are fearful for the security of their seal teams?

Insect Overlord

marienbad wrote: »

Yeah , have to agree with you on the naming of the 'Opera Centre' , what is it with this grandiosity ? Talk about confusing the few tourists we do get- ''No there is no music in the Opera Centre, but feel free to hum a tune if you like''.

Didn't the original plans for the new centre involve a multi-thousand seat auditorium? I think that part of the plan was removed before the final planning permission was granted, so it would have been a few years ago. I think that was where the name came from anyway.

scholar007 wrote: »

Aren't the yanks gonna stop using shannon coz it's too close to Limerick and they are fearful for the security of their seal teams?

Wow, aren't you the witty one? :rolleyes:

Amazotheamazing

Insect Overlord wrote: »

Didn't the original plans for the new centre involve a multi-thousand seat auditorium? I think that part of the plan was removed before the final planning permission was granted, so it would have been a few years ago. I think that was where the name came from anyway.

The name comes from the fact that an opera singer called Catherine Hayes was born on Patrick street, originally they were going to do up her house as some sort of museum about her as part of the project.

The fascination with M&S is also lost on me, I'm afraid.

Birdie086

Another plus one on the puzzlement Re, M & S, apparently though if one opens here it will our city's saviour!!!

constantg

re M&S; Just let it go.....

phill106

These aren't just ordinary rumors....

They are m&s rumors...

fryup

nevermind M&S, i'm still waiting for King Canutes to reopen

Resi12

+1 for not caring about M&S.

pigtown

Totally agree that M&S is overhyped but I think it's very important that the council make every effort to bring them to the Opera Centre2.0. If they don't then it's inevitable that they will eventually be attracted elsewhere in the region like Shannon or Ennis, or even to the suburbs like the Parkway Valley or Coonagh Cross. Either way it's obviously going to be a big draw so you may as well draw the shoppers into the city.

marienbad

pigtown wrote: »

Totally agree that M&S is overhyped but I think it's very important that the council make every effort to bring them to the Opera Centre2.0. If they don't then it's inevitable that they will eventually be attracted elsewhere in the region like Shannon or Ennis, or even to the suburbs like the Parkway Valley or Coonagh Cross. Either way it's obviously going to be a big draw so you may as well draw the shoppers into the city.

Do we want M&S shoppers in the city ? Can we hunt them ? Put trophy heads on the pub walls ?

Poxyshamrock

Is the Savills 'for sale' sign over the old town hall new?

Mc Love

any chance we can get a Macys or maybe a Best Buy?

constantg

Mc Love wrote: »

any chance we can get a Macys

Forgive me, but a Macy's from NYC like?

phill106

Next we will have wallmart, and be able to buy our food and high powered handguns in the same shop

constantg

phill106 wrote: »

Next we will have wallmart, and be able to buy our food and high powered handguns in the same shop

lol was in that new airsoft shop on william street the other day and 2 scobes were trying broken english in thick limerick accents to explain to the eastern european gentleman that they wanted to purchase a number of high power airsoft automatic weapons........and that was it ok to buy them if they were under 18..........and could they just walk away with them that day.....

can you imagine wallmart? lol

Miike

constantg wrote: »

lol was in that new airsoft shop on william street the other day and 2 scobes were trying broken english in thick limerick accents to explain to the eastern european gentleman that they wanted to purchase a number of high power airsoft automatic weapons........and that was it ok to buy them if they were under 18..........and could they just walk away with them that day.....

can you imagine wallmart? lol

This seems like something the "Rubber Bandits" had involvement in.

constantg

Miike wrote: »

This seems like something the "Rubber Bandits" had involvement in.

It wasn't far off to tell the truth....

brianhickey

Mc Love wrote: »

any chance we can get a Macys or maybe a Best Buy?

Best Buy are closing down all their UK stores, so no chance of them opening here anytime soon.

Itsdacraic

It gets worse:

BUILD it and they will come is the old maxim, but if Marks & Spencer are to move to Limerick they want free rent to boot.

The three-decade long delay to persuade Marks & Spencer to open in Limerick city is due to the stringent terms and conditions set out by the UK retailer - potentially up to five years free rent and having to pay only a nominal amount thereafter, the Limerick Leader has learned.

As City Hall and Belfast developer Suneil Sharma attempt to woo the British store to open in their respective developments in Limerick, local businessmen have complained that their demands are too costly to be met by developers struggling to open shopping centres in the current climate.

Mayor of Limerick Jim Long said he understands the sought-after chain has “a policy of going into sites for no rent or as little rent as possible.”

“They do not believe in paying rent; everything is built to accommodate Marks & Sparks, but everything comes at a price.

“It would be remiss of us not to consider M&S and I wouldn’t hesitate to negotiate with them. They should be welcomed with open arms,” the Mayor said, specifically referring to their newly acquired Opera Centre site in the city.

He said the conditions set out by the retail empire wouldn’t be a deterrent to him, but that would not be part of his “contractual remit” as mayor.

“The information we have is that they are keen to come to the city centre, despite what Mr Sharma [of the Parkway Valley development] is saying, and we shouldn’t waste that opportunity” added the mayor.

Is this guy for real??
It's a SUPERMARKET.