Mayo's Biggest Tesco coming to Ballina

finisklin

See link below from advertiser regarding this development. Very positive and staying in the town centre.

http://www.advertiser.ie/mayo/article/49870/tesco-to-create-one-hundred-new-jobs-in-new-ballina-supermarket

Does anyone know what exact land is being disposed of to Tesco? Is it the market square car park? What about the land CPO'ed at the back of Humbert St?

The only downside is that the existing store will have to be relocated as the redevelopment will take 2 years. Where this will be relocated to will be interesting as all the local developers queue up to secure such a prestigeous, short term tenant.

Will this impact McDonalds plans? Could the latter be included in this adjacent site?

What about the existing traffic management plan and how will that cater for all the new traffic that this Tesco store will bring?

Overall a big boost for the town.

Ilovelucy

Isn't it Kilcullens yard that has been assigned to tesco.

Daisy M

I think that was the sight of ballina mineral water. There is a car park there now and by the sounds of it that will be swallowed up in the development as tesco are creating 300 parking spaces but there will only be 180/190 extra. Its a very good location and would mean that if your in town you can park your car and still be near other shops and get all your shopping in one place.

Ilovelucy

Kilcullens yard as it is known in Ballina was Ballina Mineral Water Co. I was talking to one of the women in Tesco today and whilst they are delighted with the news they have no idea where they are going to be working. A site on the Crossmolina road was mentioned - where Henniges was but that's only a rumour.

finisklin

Who purchased the BMW (Kilcullens) site the town council or Tesco?

The site size in the advertiser refers to it as 2.35 acres which is a fairly big chunk of land. Is the car park at the back of Penny's included in this?

yop

Good news for Ballina.

Remember reading an article about how Tesco were going to "take over the world" or something like that and they were machine in mopping up local business. Considering the number of Tescos which have opened in Mayo in the last 5 years they are not far off!

Defiler Of The Coffin

yop wrote: »

Good news for Ballina.

Remember reading an article about how Tesco were going to "take over the world" or something like that and they were machine in mopping up local business. Considering the number of Tescos which have opened in Mayo in the last 5 years they are not far off!

How is it fair that Mayo has 6 and Kilkenny has 0?

ballinalass

Why is the Ballina Town Council buying property and land (bank gardens) by CPO and selling to Tesco a multi million company. I though that CPO could only be used for roads, not for development of private enterprise. Surely Tesco should be paying top dollar to these property owners. As it is they have to take whatever they are offered by the council. I think its undemocratic that this is happening.

PogMoThoin

Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »

How is it fair that Mayo has 6 and Kilkenny has 0?

Does Tesco really bring anything to an area? The employment they bring get balanced out by the local shops they put to the wall. They're also not so cheap, we stopped shopping there because our local Super Valu is cheaper and had offers on stuff we'd normally buy.

nuac

I agree with Póg MTh.

they claim to "create" jobs, but cause job losses elsewhere

Blackjack

nuac wrote: »

I agree with Póg MTh.

they claim to "create" jobs, but cause job losses elsewhere

+1. Kilkenny is fortunate enough in not having a Tesco TBH.

yop

Defiler Of The Coffin wrote: »

How is it fair that Mayo has 6 and Kilkenny has 0?

Fair, where does fair come into it? They are a Juggernaut wiping out small shops and harming the likes of Irish shops, Super Valu etc.

As said already they aren't actually that cheap, they have more choice in different foods for sure, but I just don't like the way they "work".

Kilkenny's day will come yet!

Blackjack

yop wrote: »

Fair, where does fair come into it? They are a Juggernaut wiping out small shops and harming the likes of Irish shops, Super Valu etc.

As said already they aren't actually that cheap, they have more choice in different foods for sure, but I just don't like the way they "work".

Kilkenny's day will come yet!

Not to mention their ill treatment of suppliers, their insistence on using a UK distributor (Eddie Stobart) for all items in Ireland and their refusal to declare their profits from Operations in Ireland.

Personally - I never shop in Tesco unless it's an absolute emergency and there's nowhere else open that can offer the same product.

smallerthanyou

I never shop there either. Always go somewhere else if I can. They are the European Walmart with similar poor HR policies unless you're one of the old Quinnsworth-contract workers. It may sound like a good thing for the town but I don't think long term it adds value to a town.

Maybe I'm biased though cos I used to work in one and it was awful.

finisklin

Ballina's grocery stores are not on a par with Castlebar. The Dunnes and Tesco stores are dated and small meaning that the selection and choice of goods is not extensive as bigger shops. Traditionally Ballina was a bigger retail town which attracted shoppers from all over North Mayo. This is no longer the case.

This development will add something to the town, the retail sector is already in significant decline here. On the plus side is the fact that the development is in the town centre and not outside like Castlebar which destroyed the main street and long standing local oretailers. At least the planners/town council got that right. It is bringing 100 extra jobs.

It will be very hard for the retailers on market road during the development phase as their businesses will be affected.

I have to agree with the other posts that they are not the cheapest and it pays to shop around.

When will Lidl's bakery extension be finished? I have good reports about the quality and the prices of it.

yop

finisklin wrote: »

Ballina's grocery stores are not on a par with Castlebar. The Dunnes and Tesco stores are dated and small meaning that the selection and choice of goods is not extensive as bigger shops. Traditionally Ballina was a bigger retail town which attracted shoppers from all over North Mayo. This is no longer the case.

This development will add something to the town, the retail sector is already in significant decline here. On the plus side is the fact that the development is in the town centre and not outside like Castlebar which destroyed the main street and long standing local oretailers. At least the planners/town council got that right. It is bringing 100 extra jobs.

It will be very hard for the retailers on market road during the development phase as their businesses will be affected.

I have to agree with the other posts that they are not the cheapest and it pays to shop around.

When will Lidl's bakery extension be finished? I have good reports about the quality and the prices of it.

Ah stop, my gut is paying the price for Lidls fecking bakery!!!!!!! I just have to drop in there for a few of their baked products when I am passing!!!

Ilovelucy

19 March has been mooted Yop.

Shelflife

finisklin wrote: »

Ballina's grocery stores are not on a par with Castlebar. The Dunnes and Tesco stores are dated and small meaning that the selection and choice of goods is not extensive as bigger shops. Traditionally Ballina was a bigger retail town which attracted shoppers from all over North Mayo. This is no longer the case.

This development will add something to the town, the retail sector is already in significant decline here. On the plus side is the fact that the development is in the town centre and not outside like Castlebar which destroyed the main street and long standing local oretailers. At least the planners/town council got that right. It is bringing 100 extra jobs.

It will be very hard for the retailers on market road during the development phase as their businesses will be affected.

I have to agree with the other posts that they are not the cheapest and it pays to shop around.

When will Lidl's bakery extension be finished? I have good reports about the quality and the prices of it.

Studies have found that for every 100 jobs tesco and their ilk bring in, 150 are lost in the locality.

so in effect they are a net loss in employment for the local economy !!

oscarBravo

Shelflife wrote: »

Studies have found that for every 100 jobs tesco and their ilk bring in, 150 are lost in the locality.

Just curious: got a source for that?

Shelflife

http://www.keepmachspecial.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/supermarketjobclaims2010.pdf

This will give you an idea what im on about, the actual 100 v 150 quote came from an rte documentary regarding retail and farming in Ireland

finisklin

Shelflife wrote: »

http://www.keepmachspecial.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/supermarketjobclaims2010.pdf

This will give you an idea what im on about, the actual 100 v 150 quote came from an rte documentary regarding retail and farming in Ireland

Perhaps you can clarify if you have any interest in being either pro or anti Tesco?

The report you have highlighted is UK based, its applicability to Ballina (and an Irish environment) is dubious. Particularly the comment that clearly states "Job losses caused by new developments are difficult to predict".

I have read the Wal Mart book In Sam we Trust and how the effects of Wal Mart have devasted many American towns. However that was due to out of town shopping developments with massive car parking facilities.

The RTE documentary was queried shortly after and the manner in which this was based was questioned. Plus Irish retailers, notably Supervalu/Centra have a vested interest in highlighting these notional job losses. It is very difficult in the current retail environment to establish these cause and effect relationships between retail developments and local job losses. Perhaps in smaller towns where there was traditionally one retailer and then a Tesco opens along with a Lidl e.g. Westport?

Local retail jobs are currently being lost in Ballina without this development going ahead. Indeed some retail businesses are closing, as reflected by the empty units in Tone Street & O'Rahilly Street.

What this redevelopment will do for Ballina is bring people to Ballina to shop (both Ballina people and people outside the town) where they currently do their shopping in Castlebar. I know many people from ballina that go to Castlebar to do their Grocery shopping. A this development is in the town it is not unreasonable to assume that people will go further afield to visit other shops. Plus there is a great butchers, green grocer adjacent to the development with a fresh offering. Penny's 3 minutes walk which will bring shoppers further into the town.

On a macro level Irish shopping habits have changed significantly over the last 3 years - shoppers spreading their trolley or big shop across 2-3 retailers (Tesco, Dunnes, Lidl/Aldi), grocery value sales down by 2-3% on last year and less discretionary purchases etc.

Looking forward to the Lidl bakery opening.....doughnuts for buttons!

tombom112

tesco jobs, quailty wise are terrible, you work with a 20 - 25 contract which will be over 4 to 5 days meaning you cant claim for the rest of the week, i've been told they get a prsi break or something but i cant back that up, so unless you do sundays you'll come out with less than the dole, and having worked there your head would be much better off being on the dole, and that dos'nt even say anything about the disaster area that will be local businesses, there like a great big plague

ballinalass

tombom112 wrote: »

tesco jobs, quailty wise are terrible, you work with a 20 - 25 contract which will be over 4 to 5 days meaning you cant claim for the rest of the week, i've been told they get a prsi break or something but i cant back that up, so unless you do sundays you'll come out with less than the dole, and having worked there your head would be much better off being on the dole, and that dos'nt even say anything about the disaster area that will be local businesses, there like a great big plague

I totally agree with tombom 112 regarding the disaster that this Tesco development will be to Ballina. Quite a lot of the "new" jobs will be displaced workers who will have lost their jobs in the smaller retail stores in the town. As well as grocery business Tesco will do a lot of harm to all kinds of business, what are the Town Council thinking about?

garyt43

worth a read...........http://www.shelflife.ie/article.aspx?id=1715

schween

tombom112 wrote: »

tesco jobs, quailty wise are terrible, you work with a 20 - 25 contract which will be over 4 to 5 days meaning you cant claim for the rest of the week, i've been told they get a prsi break or something but i cant back that up, so unless you do sundays you'll come out with less than the dole, and having worked there your head would be much better off being on the dole, and that dos'nt even say anything about the disaster area that will be local businesses, there like a great big plague

I worked for Tesco in the past. Pretty much everyone was happy with the hours they had. I did a 20-25 hour contract, suited me fine, and it wasn't less than the dole. Not everyone needs/wants a 40 hour week. I had the option of doing a lot more hours but it didn't suit me. The starting pay was €9.30 which at 20 hours works out at €186/week. Your pay goes up after the first year. It's no better/worse than the rivals. In any case, I'd rather work 20 hours in Tesco and get €186 than be bored on my ass at home for the same on the dole.

Don't get me wrong, I don't like Tesco myself, but as a place to work it's no worse than any other chain. People talk about Tesco as though it's some sweatshop in Asia or some slave diamond mine.

The job itself was boring though, but plenty of jobs fall under that category.

tombom112

well we can only go on our own experience, the shop i was involved with is toxic to work for, to the point that your mental sanity would be better "bored on dole", i can give examples but you get the idea, your money is right but add in social charge and union and were under the 180 mark, but thats not the point i was making, and you dont get a raise till 18 months in

shops are different to work for though, some senior people have said that other shops are great to work in, some not so good, some the thrid circle of hell