Tower Records Dawson Street

SimonQuinlank

Anyone know if they have opened yet in the old Waterstones location?and if so do they still do food like they did upstairs in the Wicklow Street store?

Cheers.

Passenger

Apparently it opened yesterday according to their official twitter.

We will be opening the new Tower Cafe early next week so we might even stand both of ye a coffee!

The store now has a larger area for vinyl, an 'old school' listening booth and there are plans for a cafe.

ollaetta

Not sure what the story was at lunchtime yesterday but the store was almost as dark as a dungeon. Spotlights on the merchandise racks but the most of the rest very dark.

Strumms

looking forward to paying my first visit this afternoon. I've been going to their store on Wicklow St for my music fix for about 16 or 17 years now.... be a bit different in the new place but they needed to expand I am sure..

ongarboy

What I liked about the Wicklow store was that I always felt like I was stepping back into the 1990s when I went there. (And I mean that in a good way!) Since physical music product has become virtually non existent, it was always nice to see a store that stocked product the way that it was when I grew up as a music consumer. A certain nostalgia to it as I don't think the interior/set up really changed once since I first visited there in the mid 90s.

Must check out their new store soon!

Strumms

ongarboy wrote: »

What I liked about the Wicklow store was that I always felt like I was stepping back into the 1990s when I went there. (And I mean that in a good way!) Since physical music product has become virtually non existent, it was always nice to see a store that stocked product the way that it was when I grew up as a music consumer. A certain nostalgia to it as I don't think the interior/set up really changed once since I first visited there in the mid 90s.

Must check out their new store soon!

Yeah, I think thats why i liked it too.. never really changed.. in a good way. When HMV started giving most of their floor space to DVDs and electronics and assorted junk with a dank basement for music.. Tower still was a music store, period. Ok some of the staff resemble the cast of Empire Records and can be a little more engaging at times but thats even part of the erm charm.

tiredcity

Haven't managed to get in yet for a wander but to answer various bits; cafe should be opening next week sometime (& it's bigger), lights situation isn't intentional and something they've been trying to resolve over the last few days. They installed a bunch more lights late yesterday afternoon and think there's more on the way soon. 90's Empire Records vibe hopefully a permanent feature!

bombidol

Just back from there. Layout is weird and its still way too dark. But fair play to them for moving instead of closing.

hfallada

bombidol wrote: »

Just back from there. Layout is weird and its still way too dark. But fair play to them for moving instead of closing.

I know their old premises is being taken over by a luxury Swedish clothing brand. That are paying a ridiculous amount of money to rent it. Its great that Towers could relocate so close to their original location

Strumms

bombidol wrote: »

Just back from there. Layout is weird and its still way too dark. But fair play to them for moving instead of closing.

Not long back either. There is still a bit of work to be done despite the opening. No idea what's going on with the lighting but someone screwed that up somewhere intentional or otherwise ! I can imagine someone tripping on those stairs it's so dark and unlit there....

I like the new layout and when they get some more light and finish the fixtures and fittings I think it should look very well. The cafe looks very good a lot bigger too then the old one and brighter then the rest of the store by miles !

quaalude

Mr.S wrote: »

Bit of a weird choice for a shop of its kind. Dawson Street is fairly quiet during the day and only really picks up at night with all the bars and restaurants, close to Grafton but the wrong side so to speak.

The LUAS will be going down Dawson St soon enough - should totally change the character of the street. Maybe Tower is hoping that'll work in the its favour?

delbertgrady

It's FAR too dark. Also, while they have a vinyl A-Z upstairs, the new LP releases are racked so high on the chart wall on the ground floor, they're almost impossible to reach. Any higher and I'd have had to ask a staff member to retrieve one for me. They might look nice up there, but they're not practical.

Hootanany

Checked it out yesterday, WOW just Wow hope it does well and I like the lighting.

EyeSight

store is quite cool. I hope it goes well for them. Will suck while the luas works go on but once it's complete they should be happy with the extra footfall

Gumbo

hfallada wrote: »

I know their old premises is being taken over by a luxury Swedish clothing brand. That are paying a ridiculous amount of money to rent it. Its great that Towers could relocate so close to their original location

Works starting in the next 2 weeks.

Strumms

So now that it's open a while... Anyone got any thoughts on the new store ?

I was quite excited at first I guess a new bigger premises and all that but I'm left a bit underwhelmed to say the least. The old store I could easily have spent 45 minutes just browsing and wandering through picking out stuff it was a nice experience buying or just looking. The new store.. I'm just not that inclined to spend any time there. Way too dark still. Was the whole design done by a complete ameteur ? Also is it just me or are the staff completly standoffish and ignorant unless you are one of their mates ? Went through a whole transaction last week being ignored by the girl working there who was having a conversation with someone buying stuff at the adjacent till, no hello, thanks or even eye contact... To be honest I prefer shopping at Freebird these days.

delbertgrady

I was very positive about their move to Dawson Street, since I thought it was a great premises and a good location, but after several weeks and numerous visits, I've decided it's a bit of a disaster.
The much-discussed poor lighting was defended by the store in their first few days, and I'm pretty sure someone even stated (officially?) that it was a temporary measure and would be improved. That has not happened. It's inexplicably dark for no apparent reason. other than - one must assume - an ill-advised aesthetic choice. Freebird Records on Eden Quay was as bright, and that was in a f***ing basement.
The layout is weak. Their chart wall is effectively blocked by two low display units, and the gap between those displays and the wall itself is too narrow. You're greeted at the top of the stairs by units that are - bizarrely - running perpendicular to the steps.
Their arrangement on Record Store Day was badly planned too. They had an A to Z of dump bins on the left, directly opposite the tills, so you had lots of people trying to browse the stock, while people behind them were trying to pay, and more people were trying to enter the store. It was far too congested. At least in Wicklow Street, the stock was at the back, and customers could "escape" the melee by going to pay at the front.
The manner of the staff continues to be a problem. The "too cool for school" attitude still prevails among most of them, and as someone remarked earlier, they don't seem willing to engage with anyone who isn't already their mate. As someone who has put money over their counter for years, I find this bewildering. They should be nurturing a customer base, not alienating it.
Finally, they have the constant habit of playing CDs that they don't have on the shelves. This is practically the number one no-no of record retail. They may think it's cool to stick on some 1960s psychedelic pop, or whimsical 1970s prog, but the worst thing that can happen is for a customer to express an interest in the CD, only to discover that the copy they're playing is the only one they've got. Fair enough, they'll say, and shuffle off home to buy it on Amazon, or else take a two minute stroll and buy it in HMV.

SebBerkovich

Haven't found it too bad - as with most shops of it's size - it is simply inoffensive. I still pop in there, the way i always have, if there's something i'm looking for and can't find in the smaller shops.

As a side note: I wouldn't go back into HMV if my life depended on it.

TheBandicoot

Wish they would sell video games. There is nowhere now to buy them except Gamestop, who charge huge amounts and rarely have new releases when they actually come out.

Strumms

delbertgrady wrote: »

I was very positive about their move to Dawson Street, since I thought it was a great premises and a good location, but after several weeks and numerous visits, I've decided it's a bit of a disaster.
The much-discussed poor lighting was defended by the store in their first few days, and I'm pretty sure someone even stated (officially?) that it was a temporary measure and would be improved. That has not happened. It's inexplicably dark for no apparent reason. other than - one must assume - an ill-advised aesthetic choice. Freebird Records on Eden Quay was as bright, and that was in a f***ing basement.
The layout is weak. Their chart wall is effectively blocked by two low display units, and the gap between those displays and the wall itself is too narrow. You're greeted at the top of the stairs by units that are - bizarrely - running perpendicular to the steps.
Their arrangement on Record Store Day was badly planned too. They had an A to Z of dump bins on the left, directly opposite the tills, so you had lots of people trying to browse the stock, while people behind them were trying to pay, and more people were trying to enter the store. It was far too congested. At least in Wicklow Street, the stock was at the back, and customers could "escape" the melee by going to pay at the front.
The manner of the staff continues to be a problem. The "too cool for school" attitude still prevails among most of them, and as someone remarked earlier, they don't seem willing to engage with anyone who isn't already their mate. As someone who has put money over their counter for years, I find this bewildering. They should be nurturing a customer base, not alienating it.
Finally, they have the constant habit of playing CDs that they don't have on the shelves. This is practically the number one no-no of record retail. They may think it's cool to stick on some 1960s psychedelic pop, or whimsical 1970s prog, but the worst thing that can happen is for a customer to express an interest in the CD, only to discover that the copy they're playing is the only one they've got. Fair enough, they'll say, and shuffle off home to buy it on Amazon, or else take a two minute stroll and buy it in HMV.

^ This to a tee. I popped in there again at the weekend and another of the common denominators of all my visits since they opened seems to be the lack of people actually in the store shopping. I was served by the same girl, she might have smiled and made eye contact this time, then again it might have been a nervous twitch. So just maybe we are not the only people thinking the same. I like Freebird and while I would hasten to grace HMV with my cash Tower could learn a whole heap from HMV staff who have always been absolutely excellent on all levels in my experience.

polydactyl

Sent husband off with new baby to kill time in vinyl section/cafe as he has previously done sans baby on hundreds of occassions.... no lift to second floor. i never noticed it in old place as had no need to but husband seriously not impressed now and what about wheelchair users who are vinyl fans??

Ranchu

polydactyl wrote: »

Sent husband off with new baby to kill time in vinyl section/cafe as he has previously done sans baby on hundreds of occassions.... no lift to second floor. i never noticed it in old place as had no need to but husband seriously not impressed now and what about wheelchair users who are vinyl fans??

It's an old building and putting a lift in would probably cost a fortune. Would you pay for it?

fiachr_a

polydactyl wrote: »

not impressed now and what about wheelchair users who are vinyl fans??

No wheelchair user could reach the vinyl in Tower as you need to stand to browse!

Gumbo

polydactyl wrote: »

Sent husband off with new baby to kill time in vinyl section/cafe as he has previously done sans baby on hundreds of occassions.... no lift to second floor. i never noticed it in old place as had no need to but husband seriously not impressed now and what about wheelchair users who are vinyl fans??

The reason they didn't put a lift in is because they didn't have to. They wouldn't spend the money on it.

When they took over the premise, there wasn't any need for a change of use planning application, so therefore they didn't need to meet the most current building regulations or acquire a Disability Access Certificate. That's my understanding of it anyhow.

MemEmee

I was certain Waterstones used have a lift.

Kompany

Left my debit card at the store on Wednesday evening 10th Feb 2016 at 6.30 pm
Rang then yesterday
Card posted to my home address today by registered post at a cost of €6.10 to the store

Was this not the most amazing customer service ever .................. and still an Aladdin's cave of perfect Vinyl

Thank you Tower

Have you examples of good customer service ?

Poxyshamrock

Kompany wrote: »

Left my debit card at the store on Wednesday evening 10th Feb 2016 at 6.30 pm
Rang then yesterday
Card posted to my home address today by registered post at a cost of €6.10 to the store

Was this not the most amazing customer service ever .................. and still an Aladdin's cave of perfect Vinyl

Thank you Tower

Have you examples of good customer service ?

Love to hear stories like this! Well done Tower Records.

andekwarhola

Went in the other day to pick up something, and then back to exchange it as it was faulty. Staff that dealt with me were grand and friendly? Maybe it's just me but I actually prefer the new space to the old one: think the low light/labyrinth type aspect suits that kind of store.

Kompany

Little Green Cars launching new LP in store on 10th March at 7.00 pm
If you have never experienced the sweet harmonies of LGC live treatyourself it will be amazing.

Act now ...........no regrets

Howard the Duck

I like it not as much as the old place but it's grand. I would say it seems much more quiet, I'd be surprised if they stay open

Strumms

Howard the Duck wrote: »

I'd be surprised if they stay open

Same. I was in there yesterday and as with many all be it less frequent visits over the last year you were talking about 5 or 6 people browsing which I have found to be the norm. The move to Dawson St may have saved in terms of rent or whatever but they must be missing out on the huge retail footfall they once had exposure to on Wicklow St in a major way.

edbrez

When the Luas arrives footfall should go up and hopefully their prices will go down.

Strumms

edbrez wrote: »

When the Luas arrives footfall should go up and hopefully their prices will go down.

Not a chance.. where as Wicklow St is an upmarketish shopping st just of Grafton St with many big name shops on both that attracts spenders... what exactly is on Dawson St really.. ? Nada... as for the prices going down that is just so way off the mark its silly..

Irish Halo

Strumms wrote: »

what exactly is on Dawson St

Won't the Luas stop right outside the front door? I don't think you could ask for a better position

Strumms

Irish Halo wrote: »

Won't the Luas stop right outside the front door? I don't think you could ask for a better position

Not too sure where the stop on Dawson St would actually be, good if it is actually outside but I'd wonder would that make up for Tower being moved from what was a traditional shopping street like Wicklow St which is in itself a through way to Grafton St. There really inst anything on Dawson St of note apart from a few eateries, travel shops etc.... the luas may improve things but I'd still imagine them to be at a disadvantage.