Bootsessss!!

BengaLover

Great deals going on in Boots..Bought some of that new Revlon PhotoFinish makeup, where you buy 3 get cheapest free, and on top of that 4 points for every euro spent on the loyalty card, AND an extra 5 euro off at the checkout if you spend over 25 euro...
Wonder how this will affect the smaller pharmacies within a few hundred yards radius from it - the deals are too good to miss so I think customer loyalty might go to pot..

nuac

Are you employed by Boots?

BengaLover

No. Why would you think that?

nuac

Your post reads like a plug for them

BengaLover

Im pretty sure boots staff dont work on commision, so if I were a boots employee then that post wouldnt benefit me in any way.
Why on earth shouldnt I post about great deals in a new store in my town?
I was going to post about the great new Lidl bakery but on second thoughts...

Daisy M

Its great to hear of good offers I think it was nice of bengal to share, I am sure if she was an employee her post would have given a lot more details on special offers, to me she sounds like a happy customer!!

sunrise91

I reckon the local chemists must have been dreading the arrival of Boots in town! I know a lot of people will remain faithful to some of the chemists, but I imagine it will take a lot of business away!

Anyway, are there not like 8 chemists in town already? Surely we didn't need another one!!

BengaLover

The large Molloys has some pretty good deals from time to time and a loyalty card too.

finisklin

When I saw the thread title I thought this was about something else -

BengaLover

Boots..as in shoes lol?? if anyone sees any great deals on the Platforms shoe shop in Ballina let me know cos their shoes are to die for..

biko

BengaLover wrote: »

Wonder how this will affect the smaller pharmacies within a few hundred yards radius from it - the deals are too good to miss so I think customer loyalty might go to pot..

They usually go bust, then people have no choice but to use Boots.
Boots are strong enough to keep prices down for a few year to force everyone else closed.
Such are the wonders of using UK chains over "mom and pop shops".

Daisy M

Biko, I am kind of torn on this point, I would hate to see any more shops in Ballina close but I have to shop where I get best value. I would have thought that Boots and other similar shops will have the same prices and offers in all their stores, when I lived in the UK I found Boots to have great offers and be affordable to me. I am not trying to be offensive but why would I choose to spend extra in a dearer shop than Boots or the like? Does it really make a difference to me if I line the pockets of Boots.com or Mr local pharmacist? I think (and I may be wrong) but when I am buying brand name products it doesnt matter where I buy them from the big multi nationals are the ones who make the money!!

yop

I think Bikos point and Tesco prove this also, is that the can afford to portray an image of lower prices for X months/years in order to crush the local, then once they are closed they will gradually increase their prices.

I used to love the thoughts of having Tescos/boots/argos etc locally but to be honest with you they aren't all that cheap and outside of the local store jobs they don't add anything to the local economy.

Thats my own opinion on it though !

Daisy M

I think as consumers we need to be price aware and not fooled by advertising. I try to shop where I will get value for money and also where staff are friendly and willing to help, shaws in Ballina is an excellent example of good staff.
I am genuinely curious as to what local small shops add to the economy any more than their bigger competitors aside from local jobs? So many of our everyday purchases are manufactured overseas, does it make a difference where we buy them from?

Dont get me wrong I love shopping in the many local ran shops in Ballina (today I spent 300e in the smaller shops) but I also enjoy shopping in the bigger stores which have a larger variety and more offers and where you can browse for a good while without feeling under scrutiny.

thysich

BengaLover wrote: »

Great deals going on in Boots..Bought some of that new Revlon PhotoFinish makeup, where you buy 3 get cheapest free, and on top of that 4 points for every euro spent on the loyalty card, AND an extra 5 euro off at the checkout if you spend over 25 euro...
Wonder how this will affect the smaller pharmacies within a few hundred yards radius from it - the deals are too good to miss so I think customer loyalty might go to pot..

As a Man my impressions of Boots Ballina.

1. Worst laid out pharmacy in Ballina.
2. Not much for men... (not unless you are a man who likes the put on makeup...)
3. CROWDED with women in narrow isles.
4. They don't have the selection of products like Boots castlebar.
5. No free parking near.
6. Don't get the points thing.. wife buys tons of stuff she does not need, I mean after 4 mascara things,,, is one not enough..?

I think I will stick to Molloys near supervalu very handy parking for prescriptions and Tescos for deoderant.. its cheaper.

Shelflife

Daisy M, local over multinational.

Local tend to employ more staff.

Profits by local stay local, multinational profits go overseas.

Local tend to give local suppliers a better chance then multinationals.

local tend to support community charities and clubs more then multinationals.

locals tend to be more accomadating to local needs of customers, multinationals tend to have a set product list

local tend to be more flexible in their procedures,multinational procedures tend to be set in stone with no movement.

just a few off the top of my head.

Daisy M

Thanks shelflife its always good to get more info on such things.
There are a few things I dont quiet agree with though:).

Such as locals tending to employ more staff most small shops seem to work on a skeletal staff these days and there can be quiet a wait sometime if there are only one or two others in the shop.

Personally I have found it hard to get any small shop to order something they do not stock they never seem to want to or make it seem like I am asking for the moon!

There are a number of shops in Ballina at the moment which are not nice to go into because of staff attitude and there is no one to complain to because they are usually related to the owner. I had a terrible experience last year in a jewellers, Myself and my family were treated with disdain I dont know why. There was an item I really wanted to buy cost well over 150e but the shopassistant was horrible, she literally looked down on us I have never felt like that before. I was going to ring the owner but my husband thought it was his wife who served us so no point. We left and went to Rouses where the staff couldnt be nicer. My point is though the larger places are meant to be customer friendly and in the event of a customer service problem there is a channel to follow to address the complaint.

Personally I think there is a need for large and small business in our towns. Today for example I went in with the intention of looking in shaws for what I needed but instead spent my money in the local shops as their window displays attracted me in, however it was the thought of what shaws and Boots had to offer that brought me into town!!

BengaLover

Shopping around really pays dividends tho..
I get all toiletries and cleaning products in the discount warehouse up ardnaree, as its cheaper than any other store claiming to have discount prices, especially on branded goods.
Tesco is great for non branded goods, and special offers. As regards chemists, I think the smaller ones are way overpriced and I never use them. Molloys attracts me because of the parking and being able to use supervalu at the same time, and the loyalty card thing, although apart from prescriptions theres not an awful lot apart from the health food stuff I would buy there, which has a good range at good prices.
Boots I agree is small, but the customer service was excellent when I did go in, however, this was the same week it opened, so time will tell..
The offers there on makeup, hair colour, etc are too good to pass up with the buy 2 get one free ranges to choose from, although some products in there were more expensive than in molloys/tesco, like deodoarants, shampoos.

finisklin

biko wrote: »

They usually go bust, then people have no choice but to use Boots.
Boots are strong enough to keep prices down for a few year to force everyone else closed.
Such are the wonders of using UK chains over "mom and pop shops".

I queried this previous with Shelflife and he pointed to UK research on this. I am unaware of any Irish research that supports this assertion.

Small shops are important, we are a nation of small businesses and retail ones in particular. Small shops have upped their game in the recession - better customer service, consistent special offers and good attractive displays. However, there are shops out there where the customer service is sh*te. Mrs Finisklin also had a bad experience in a jewellers, though not in the same one.

Unfortunately, in the current environment price rules and people will buy where value for money shines through. Hence the populairty of Lidl. I note the recently opened bakery in the Ballina store. Three chocolate donuts for €1.50, the homer simpson in me is coming out.

I think boots will do well and the other, less established pharmacies are up agin it. They have a decent own brand range which is quite good and low priced. Interesting that the price of otehr branded items are the same if not more expensive than Tesco e.g. Lynx deodrant. The narrow aisles are a pain.

finisklin

Shelflife wrote: »

Daisy M, local over multinational.

Local tend to employ more staff.

Profits by local stay local, multinational profits go overseas.

Local tend to give local suppliers a better chance then multinationals.

local tend to support community charities and clubs more then multinationals.

locals tend to be more accomadating to local needs of customers, multinationals tend to have a set product list

local tend to be more flexible in their procedures,multinational procedures tend to be set in stone with no movement.

just a few off the top of my head.

Locals employ more staff in total, not by individual business.

Dunnes and MSVC profits stay in Ireland. Tesco accounts for nearly €750 mn in Irish food exports annually.

I think the local supplier point is a fair one, perhaps over marketed.

The set product range of multinationals has changed the face of Irish retail. My father in law can't wait to get the Lidle and Aldi brochures every week. Plus the quality and pricing on offer is second to none.

The procedures give the consistency of service etc and ensure that your shopping experience is consistent in boots Ballina to boots in Liffey Valley.

Shelflife

The set product range of multinationals has changed the face of Irish retail. My father in law can't wait to get the Lidle and Aldi brochures every week. Plus the quality and pricing on offer is second to none.

The procedures give the consistency of service etc and ensure that your shopping experience is consistent in boots Ballina to boots in Liffey Valley.

Hi Finisklin the point i was making in relation to the set product range is that the good smaller retailers can tailor their offering to their customers specific needs better than the larger ones.

that said there is no doubt that the arrival of aldi and lidl have changed the face of retailing completely.

The flexibility of the smaller shops in their procedures means that if youre 10c short you wont be asked to put something back, if your child forgets their lunch and you ring the local shop they will give them a sandwich and you can sort it out later. little things like this that make your life easier.

oscarBravo

The customer service point is an important one. I have to fill a prescription every month or so for the past couple of years (and for the foreseeable future). I'd never really been in that situation before, so I picked a local pharmacy more or less at random, and I've never looked back.

When I talk about customer service, I'm talking to the point of having the pharmacist's mobile number that I could call when I found myself abroad without my medication. It's possible that I could get the meds cheaper in Boots - I've never checked - but you can't buy that kind of customer care.

nuac

Some interesting points there especially by Shelflife and Finiskiln.

Often I wonder about those headlines when e..g. Tesco announce a new store in a modest town - 50 new jobs for xxxxxx. There is never any mention of jobs gone in businesses which find they cannot compete with Tesco. I see that An Taisce in their Planning Study published yesterday put the displacement rate higher - 140 jobs lost for every new 100 out of town multi-national jobs.

There are some examples in the UK of previously thriving market towns reduced. to a street of teashops of similar because the local butcher, bakers and draper could not compete against the mulit-national outside town

oscarBravo

The UK is a strange beast, though. Most of my experience is just inside/just outside the M25, but it's getting to the point where it's unusual to see an independent trader of any kind. Be it a pub, a grocer, a pharmacist or whatever, pretty much everything is chain store territory. It's a bit sad, in all honesty - it makes you realise how much character an Irish town's high street still has by comparison.

TopTec

Most UK High streets consist of the following;

Cancer Research, Vodafone, Poundland, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Help the Aged, O2, Pubs doing day meals, RSPCA, Argos, Boots, Tesco's and Sainsbury's, an occasional bookshop, and a few cheaper clothes shops like TK Max, Primark and the like. Charity shops do not pay council rates, hence the high numbers. In Poole High Street, for example, there are 14 charity shops in 200 metres.

Rarely do you see independant shops like you get in Ballina.

TT

Daisy M

oscarBravo wrote: »

The customer service point is an important one. I have to fill a prescription every month or so for the past couple of years (and for the foreseeable future). I'd never really been in that situation before, so I picked a local pharmacy more or less at random, and I've never looked back.

When I talk about customer service, I'm talking to the point of having the pharmacist's mobile number that I could call when I found myself abroad without my medication. It's possible that I could get the meds cheaper in Boots - I've never checked - but you can't buy that kind of customer care.

It is so great to get that type of service, my own pharmacist is fantastic and knows my history and that of my family so will advise accordingly if I am looking for an over the counter medicine. He has gone above and beyond the call of duty for us many a time. I am not going to change however I do like the idea of the private consultation room all boots stores have as I dont like discussing personal info in front of other customers so if I have an extremely personal query I will consider going there. Boots are open 7 days a week as I think are Molloys which is a God send, when my kids were little they always seemed to get sick at the weekend!!

Ilovelucy

All Pharmacies have to provide a private consultation room.

oscarBravo

I know mine does.

finisklin

You'll probably find that the consistent research in the advancement of chain retailers is the rise of Wal Mart in the US. They have devasted the US. I am not disputing the relationship in Ireland of small shops closing due to the opening of a Tesco etc just that it is difficult to link the evidence.

The face of retail has changed and will never be the same again. Will the next generation of butchers, bakers and candlestick makers (or even publicans) come through? If I was in one these businesses I would be encouraging my kids to go to college and get a profession.

Yip, Garveys and Duffy's bakeries gone. Long established family businesses gone forever. We're a poorer town as a result, no question.

BengaLover

I do think that UK type chain stores like boots, primark (penneys), Tesco etc would keep a small town alive tho. If it werent for large branded stores like these then the streets of Ballina would be dead, as a lot of people are coming from Belmullet, Foxford, etc to shop.
Unfortunately they do tend to head straight for the larger shops and the smaller ones get missed out.

Ilovelucy

Retailers like Timmy's are a dying breed.

BengaLover

Love Timmys, half the products have their sell by date out by years.:) .
All the veg out like clockwork every morning..

Ilovelucy

Sure where else would you get cream on Christmas day.

finisklin

Ilovelucy wrote: »

Sure where else would you get cream on Christmas day.

Or batterys....

finisklin

Interesting article this from the Times about the effect of out of town superstores on local businesses.

During the boom years independents business halved while multiples grew by 60%. Also points to local shops delivering 32 cents in every euro spent with them back into the local economy while the chains delvier 16 cents.

Interesting that there are no references to where this evidence is obtained from?

Boots is busy but have to say not cheap and cheerful. The other pharmacies were quiet during my recces, in comparision.

themadchef

I rarely go near Boots tbh. I find O Donnells is a great little chemist for offers, the girls know me by name and at this stage can nearly remind me if i'm forgetting something as i pretty much buy the same stuff month in month out.



I will wander into Boots and wander out. Yes there are headline offers but outside of those they are woefully expensive imo. Shiny, sexy shops appealying to a younger generation, stocking huge ranges of more crap we dont need. Celtic tiger extravagance. I'd prefre to keep my local chemist, and i think there are alot of people like me. Peoples attitudes are actually changing with the change in their pockets.