Halfords relocating on 10 Jan

fletch

I was in Halfords today and noticed a sign saying that they would be relocating on the 10th Jan 2013 between PC World/Currys & DFS. Would the rent be cheaper over there? Seems like a bad move to me as there is much greater footfall in Westend I would presume. Anyone know why they are moving?

Justin10

Westend retail park is a different park to the rest of the centre. So rents would be different to over beside Currys.

January

Not a bad move I don't think. People going into halfords don't really go in for a browse. Parking is crap in that retail park is crap though

jeffk

A few years ago you used to drive down the back of the shops and bring the car in to get work done on it .

Maybe with this corner unit they are looking to similar again. .

January

It's not a corner unit though is it? PC World/Currys are in one corner and DFS are in the other

JoePie

jeffk wrote: »

A few years ago you used to drive down the back of the shops and bring the car in to get work done on it .

Maybe with this corner unit they are looking to similar again. .

You still can. I had a radio fitted about 8 months ago. Had to drive in by the FÁS entrance.

jeffk

Sorry I forgot about DFS , maybe then they will use the side so , be easier than the odd time they had the cover over two car parking spaces.

Thats strange , when they done my radio i was told just to leave my car outside the shop .

JoePie

Weird. I guess it just depends on what technician is doing it, or the size of the job maybe. I had to get my full mounting ripped out and replaced, so bigger job maybe.

dickwod1

I remember when The Westend retail park opened and was real quiet, Petstop superstore was beside Currys at the time and Someone like McGuirks golf or one of them there made Petstop an offer they couldnt refuse to move out as that was the busy retail park at the time, Seems to be reversed now.

Larbre34

So long as they learn to fit a headlamp bulb as part of the move, especially as a tenner for the bulb and a fiver to fit it. useless.com

ThisRegard

It's the people that pay to have their bulb fitted that can be useless, not Halfords. They're only supplying a service that there's obviously a market for.

jeffk

Anyone that pays that money is only making Halfords continue to charge it ,as they know people will pay it .

I used to change mine , but then newer cars are such hassle . Any decent garage or motor parts place will do it cheap enough . Discount tyre an exhaust in ballycoolin spring to mind .

jack presley

January wrote: »

Parking is crap in that retail park is crap though

I hate that car park. It's very badly designed

jeffk

jack presley wrote: »

I hate that car park. It's very badly designed

Most of the car parks are badly designed , but then when people ignore no entry and arrows , it doesn't make much difference I suppose .

jack presley

jeffk wrote: »

Most of the car parks are badly designed , but then when people ignore no entry and arrows , it doesn't make much difference I suppose .

The rest of them at Blanch are grand though. But the concrete slabs with the diamond shapes sticking out, who sat down and thought they were a good idea?

jeffk

jack presley wrote: »

The rest of them at Blanch are grand though. But the concrete slabs with the diamond shapes sticking out, who sat down and thought they were a good idea?

There’s a few things wrong , I do agree about those diamond things

• Those speed ramps in the retail park , one of them has collapsed a few times
• The parking spaces could be bigger
• The spaces outside new look etc dip down , great fun in ice/snow etc
• The last car space on some of the rows could be taken out to improve visibility
• No numbers or colouring for each section(for an idea of how good this could be look @ Dundrum)

That’s to name a few , a lot of it is down to user error , people see a space and it wouldn’t matter how many arrows or no entries there are they MUST have that space.

I put a idea to the Centre on Facebook to no reply or feedback :
“....I have grown tired of a number of cars parked on or over white lines, you think there’s a space a
nd no it’s someone over the white line. I would like to think a very small fine for doing this, like €1 or 50c, and this could go into a kitty for local charities which you could have a poll on which one/s receive the money taken in.”

Sorry for dragging it more off topic

ongarboy

I think the developers of Westend are/have been trying to change Westend into more of a fashion/lifestyle type retail park rather than heavy goods/DIY type which is what the other park where Currys/DFS are which why I suppose it makes sense for Halford to switch there. Likewise, McQuillans tools stood out like a sore thumb in between Next and Dorothy Perkins etc.

Zaph

jeffk wrote: »

• The parking spaces could be bigger
• The last car space on some of the rows could be taken out to improve visibility

Take out the last space and make the rest a little bigger. They're pretty tight in comparison to some shopping centres (Dundrum being the most obvious example), and this would help cut down on the number of people parking on white lines. Although some people couldn't keep between the lines if their lives depended on it.

Turbulent Bill

The most obvious problem with the Blanch Centre car parks (all of them) is the lack of pedestrian access - there are very few paths through the car parks to the spaces themselves. No real issue if you're on your own, but add in buggies/kids (i.e., about 2/3 of the shoppers) it's both difficult and dangerous. Couple that with the relatively small spaces and it's a recipe for problems.

I can't understand why more places don't use diagonal spaces like in Liffey Valley - I'm guessing greed or laziness. You get fewer spaces but much better access and safety.

daymobrew

Turbulent Bill wrote: »

I can't understand why more places don't use diagonal spaces like in Liffey Valley - I'm guessing greed or laziness. You get fewer spaces but much better access and safety.

Completely agree - diagonal spaces are infinitely better.

The planning permission notice at Halfords says that Nike are going in there.