Shops that you wonder how they stay open?

Parchment

-The Body Shop - they have some nice stuff but its over priced and staff are pushy. Their shops are always empty!

-Laura Ashley - hugely overpriced and always empty.

razorblunt

Army Surplus stores, how do know how many camouflage jackets they have in stock? Where are they?
The last one I visited was selling overpriced hangers.

EverythingGood

Parchment wrote: »

-The Body Shop - they have some nice stuff but its over priced and staff are pushy. Their shops are always empty!

-Laura Ashley - hugely overpriced and always empty.

My whole town is like that!

andekwarhola

Parchment wrote: »

Their shops are always empty!

Empirical evidence there.

whiskeyman

Ice cream shops on Grafton St - seriously, how many warm days a year do we get enough warm sun to warrant buying an ice cream?
What about the rest of the year when we're freezing our nads off??
With retail rents one of the highest in Europe there, it must be a front for money laundering...

demanufactured

whiskeyman wrote: »

Ice cream shops on Grafton St - seriously, how many warm days a year do we get enough warm sun to warrant buying an ice cream?
What about the rest of the year when we're freezing our nads off??
With retail rents one of the highest in Europe there, it must be a front for money laundering...

I've cream isn't just for sunny days.
But I often wonder how I've cream van men make any living at all.

murpho999

Every Chinese restaurant in every town in Ireland.

Food is not as popular as it used to be and every restaurant I see is nearly always empty at all times but they are still there.

I think they're all part of an elaborate worldwide spy network planted by the Chinese government.

Parchment

andekwarhola wrote: »

Empirical evidence there.

Well i think footfall in a shop is a good indicator of how a shop is doing. Neither of these businesses are mainly online retailers - if they were why do they have so many B&M outlets?

Robxxx7

murpho999 wrote: »

Every Chinese restaurant in every town in Ireland.

Food is not as popular as it used to be and every restaurant I see is nearly always empty at all times but they are still there.

I think they're all part of an elaborate worldwide spy network planted by the Chinese government.

funny you should say that .. when i was in the Algarve a few months back ..a few of the tourist type souvenir shops were run by mostly Chinese families, it was only when i got talking to the local taxi driver on teh drive back to the airport he said that the Chinese Government pay all their taxes/relocation etc and helps them get set up ... don't know how much truth there is in that though ..

valoren

There's a place on Cork's North Main Street called Leaders.
It's been there since before I was born. Stocks menswear or more accurately 'Dad' clothes.

I've poked my head in once out of curiosity. Nobody in there. Still open.

stimpson

This one:

razorblunt

valoren wrote: »

There's a place on Cork's North Main Street called Leaders.
It's been there since before I was born. Stocks menswear or more accurately 'Dad' clothes.

I've poked my head in once out of curiosity. Nobody in there. Still open.

It's huge too!

There are a few shops down that way like that, Mannix & Culhane on Washington St and the other gaff on Castle Street.
Surely can't be long for this world.

BrokenArrows

valoren wrote: »

There's a place on Cork's North Main Street called Leaders.
It's been there since before I was born. Stocks menswear or more accurately 'Dad' clothes.

I've poked my head in once out of curiosity. Nobody in there. Still open.

Independent places like this which have been around forever are usually owned outright so they are probably not paying rent and the owners are just doing it as a day job. Not earning them a fortune but enough to live and keep the business going.

johnnyskeleton

Bargain town.

Whose idea was it to set up a furniture shop with nowhere to park?

ScumLord

Robxxx7 wrote: »

funny you should say that .. when i was in the Algarve a few months back ..a few of the tourist type souvenir shops were run by mostly Chinese families, it was only when i got talking to the local taxi driver on teh drive back to the airport he said that the Chinese Government pay all their taxes/relocation etc and helps them get set up ... don't know how much truth there is in that though ..

I got the impression that the Chinese shops in Spain are like our euro shops, they sell cheap tat. They didn't seem to have a lot of Chinese restaurants and the ones they did have would constantly shut down and another open up. The Spanish don't seem as into Chinese food as we would be here.

King George VI

Dr Quirky's. Do people actually go there?

Turtyturd

That shop at the top of Mary street on the left before you reach Capel St. It sells some awful rubbish, I think it still had video tapes outside last time I passed by.

quadrifoglio verde

Adult shops.
Like seriously it's not something you feel and look at before purchase.

Or maybe they've demo rampant rabbits out the back :eek:

ohnonotgmail

Turtyturd wrote: »

That shop at the top of Mary street on the left before you reach Capel St. It sells some awful rubbish, I think it still had video tapes outside last time I passed by.

Christies or charlies or something like that. That place has been there donkeys years.

uck51js9zml2yt

Turtyturd wrote: »

That shop at the top of Mary street on the left before you reach Capel St. It sells some awful rubbish, I think it still had video tapes outside last time I passed by.

You mean Christys....its been there since I was a kid..and that was a while ago!

Theres a couple of hairdressers in Cabra that stay open no matter how few people are ever inside.

freshpopcorn

I often find sometimes if you've designer clothes or cosmetics/toiletries shops they can be almost empty with about two female staff doing nothing in them. Sometimes I see places and they never seem busy.
The products can often be bought in a department store or chemist cheaper than their own store.

Widdershins

knick knack shops. Yankee candles and floral oven gloves and resin crystal-effect drawer handles. What is the point of them?

brightspark

Pint Man wrote: »

Dr Quirky's. Do people actually go there?

Considering it turned a Garda into a multimillionaire enough people must be addicted to gambling to help fund his lifestyle.

http://evoke.ie/showbiz/jackpot-how-rosannas-family-dynasty-is-coining-it-in-to-the-tune-of-millions

Outlaw Pete

There's a second hand junk place under the Talbot St bridge that have broken ornaments and half eaten shoes in the window. It's there donkey years and I don't think I ever seen any either enter or leave the place.

foxatron

They could be cooking for than just the food!!!

Ill get my coat.

dee_mc

Widdershins wrote:

knick knack shops. Yankee candles and floral oven gloves and resin crystal-effect drawer handles. What is the point of them?

They're pointless but they sell incredibly well - all that stuff is snapped up as gifts for mother's day, Christmas etc for 'the person who has everything'.

SEPT 23 1989

Artisan foods

How are they making a living?

Canis Lupus

Here in Brisbane there is a 24hr greengrocer. Who dafuq is up buying carrots in the AM?

ScumLord

SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »

Artisan foods

How are they making a living?

Because they charge 3 times what it's worth so they only need a third of the customers.

Tayschren

Theres a lighting/lamp shop top of the main street in swords, been open for about 20 years and no once have i seen customers in it.

Those very fancy antique style shops in the Westbury Mall. I wonder about them. Of course there are those who can afford to buy in there but jaysus €5K for a piss pot kinda stuff

Then there's that lingerie shop in there. It's tiny and mad expensive. You go in and feel weird because it's so small and you are so poor.

Zaph

Those random women's clothes shops that you see in small local shopping centres. There's generally a supermarket, a newsagent, a takeaway of some sort, a chemist, maybe a butcher or a florist, a cafe and then completely at odds with the rest of the shops there, there's some "boutique". Who actually thinks of going to one of those places to buy clothes?

freshpopcorn

Zaph wrote: »

Those random women's clothes shops that you see in small local shopping centres. There's generally a supermarket, a newsagent, a takeaway of some sort, a chemist, maybe a butcher or a florist, a cafe and then completely at odds with the rest of the shops there, there's some "boutique". Who actually thinks of going to one of those places to buy clothes?

I know places like this and their main market is mother of the bride/groom.

sbsquarepants

That Pandora place - Apart from at Christmas I don't think I've ever walked past and seen more customers than staff, 9 times out of 10, there are no customers at all.


Subway - how can anyone eat something that smells that bad? (I know, it's always full - I just can't understand how!)

freshpopcorn

sbsquarepants wrote: »

That Pandora place - Apart from at Christmas I don't think I've ever walked past and seen more customers than staff, 9 times out of 10, there are no customers at all.

I was going to post that too. Anytime I've passed. They've been empty but they seem to be opening more stores!

BrokenArrows

sbsquarepants wrote: »

That Pandora place - Apart from at Christmas I don't think I've ever walked past and seen more customers than staff, 9 times out of 10, there are no customers at all.


Subway - how can anyone eat something that smells that bad? (I know, it's always full - I just can't understand how!)

Subway smells amazing. Italian BMT with southwest sauce.

Outlaw Pete

There's a Thai massage place on Dame St that seems to be always open... even at midnight and well past it many a time even.

Who the hell gets massages at midnight

Went in one night with a sore knee and they asked me would I like a happy ending. I said damn straight I want a happy ending sure why would I come in if I didn't.

How they're still open with such incompetence I'll never know.

murpho999

Tayschren wrote: »

Theres a lighting/lamp shop top of the main street in swords, been open for about 20 years and no once have i seen customers in it.

Maybe all their lights were off?

LynnGrace

Some of the shops at Dublin Airport, I know I would only be passing through, and maybe it's at quiet times, but I think sometimes that the staff must be very bored.

Pang

There's a shop in Fairview that sells glass and mirrors. I have never seen anyone inside.

King George VI

Zaph wrote: »

Those random women's clothes shops that you see in small local shopping centres. There's generally a supermarket, a newsagent, a takeaway of some sort, a chemist, maybe a butcher or a florist, a cafe and then completely at odds with the rest of the shops there, there's some "boutique". Who actually thinks of going to one of those places to buy clothes?

You'd be surprised. A few hipster women (and men) I used to know only ever bought their clothes from these stores and charity shops.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Small little independent video rental stores.

There's a guy running one here in my town and I don't know how he keeps it open, the place is always deserted.

I don't really know anyone who rents dvds anymore. Even my 65 year old technophobic father can use things like Netflix now.

ollaetta

There's a new shop in Harold's Cross selling pianos. I know the downturn is supposedly over but how many sales would they need to make the place sustainable? Be interesting to see how long it lasts.

lisasimpson

French connection havent heard anyone buying anything from there in a few years. Hows theres 2 in cork i dont know

cactusgal

The Irish Yeast Company on D'Olier St.

I don't think I've ever actually seen it open, but it's been there forever.

freshpopcorn

Certain shops/businesses can often be used for covering money!

MilesMorales1

Golden Discs. I love buying blu rays and that, but mot of the people I know prefer to just download them, and they always seem to be empty when I go into them.

quadrifoglio verde

cactusgal wrote: »

The Irish Yeast Company on D'Olier St.

I don't think I've ever actually seen it open, but it's been there forever.

The owner of the shop is a gent.
Well into his 90s at this stage and only opens two or three days a week for an hour or two. More a social thing for him than anything else.

When I was in college ID cross the road a few times a year to get baking supplies for the mother. Trays and decorations and what not.
It was the only place that I could find, that sold the Christmas cake decorations that she liked.

Good article with him here. It's a Dublin of old, that is slowly dying out.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/reeling-in-the-yeast-an-irishman-s-diary-about-dublin-s-most-enduring-shopkeeper-1.2381284?mode=amp

gizmo81

Thats the little cake supply shop. My Mam always went in till she retired for little bakery supplies.

It was run by two brothers but now I think one has died.

I went in once and it was so quaint, reminded me of shops in little villages in the eighties.

Mam always said they never really had opening hours just opened when they felt like it.

cactusgal wrote: »

The Irish Yeast Company on D'Olier St.

I don't think I've ever actually seen it open, but it's been there forever.

Beyondgone

gizmo81 wrote: »

Thats the little cake supply shop. My Mam always went in till she retired for little bakery supplies.

It was run by two brothers but now I think one has died.

I went in once and it was so quaint, reminded me of shops in little villages in the eighties.

Mam always said they never really had opening hours just opened when they felt like it.

My Da used to bring me in there to buy "proper" baking stuff he needed. I always remember the amazing smell of the place. It was like going back to Dickensian times. Didn't know it was still on the go.

gizmo81

My Mam swore by it, at the time there was only there and a place up on Chatham street that she said was outrageously priced compared to the boys. Now baking stuff is easier to find but I'm sure the yeast company will still be cheapest.

Beyondgone wrote: »

My Da used to bring me in there to buy "proper" baking stuff he needed. I always remember the amazing smell of the place. It was like going back to Dickensian times. Didn't know it was still on the go.