Hamleys Dundrum closing down 50% off everything

barnmouse

I was just in Hamleys Dundrum and they are closing down so have 50% off all stock. Its not advertised in the store but they apply the discount at the till.

I'm not sure how long it will last.

McMurphy

barnmouse wrote: »

I was just in Hamleys Dundrum and they are closing down so have 50% off all stock. Its not advertised in the store but they apply the discount at the till.

I'm not sure how long it will last.

Hamleys, as in the toy store

5rtytry56

Well they abruptly shut down their model railway and scalextric section 18 months ago and seemed to want to focus on all things Disney. No market differentiation anymore between SMYTHS and TOYSOROUS which has shut. Poor Jeffrey & helpers. :-)

Are you sure they're closing down and it's not just a seasonal sale? They're advertising 50% off online but no mention of closing...

Hamleys facebook page

barnmouse

Yes, I'm sure. I bought a good few things. It's not advertised at all, another shopper told me about it.

PrettyBoy

barnmouse wrote: »

Yes, I'm sure. I bought a good few things. It's not advertised at all, another shopper told me about it.

A random shopper is a reliable source?

vicwatson

50% off = normal prices !

L1011

Its closing down. Staff have been told.

You don't do a store-wide offer of that scale as a normal sale anyway.

Thar_Cian

A flat 50% off everything or up to 50% off?

NinjaTruncs

Do they have much? I was in there before Christmas and they had very little stock, shop mush have been half empty, I can't see there being much left now.

dubrov

Looks like a typical "sale" to me. Prices aren't great even after the supposed discount.

s8n

It’s always been overpriced

sunny2004

Ok, is it closing down or not ? Anyone ?

barnmouse

It is closing down soon. Im not sure of the date. there is a flat 50% off everything. There is good stock, especially stuff like playmobil, lego, sylvanians and baby things. I bought some things myself so this is first hand info.

rubadub

Thar_Cian wrote: »

A flat 50% off everything or up to 50% off?

facebook page said "up to"

godtabh

I’m here now. Looks like it is closing down but not everything is reduced. Some reductions but nothing to write home about

5rtytry56

godtabh wrote: »

I’m here now. Looks like it is closing down but not everything is reduced. Some reductions but nothing to write home about

I can forsee this stock being sent to London flagship.

xpletiv

Just a poor area to set up; right at the end of the centre. If it were inside itd probably have done a lot better. But overpriced as heck compared to online.

markpb

I was there this morning and nothing much has changed that I could see. A small area on the first floor has been blocked off and a few shelves have been removed so it feels a bit empty but I think some other posters might be overselling the post-apocalyptic vision of Hamleys. The shelves are still fully stocked and there was the usual amount of staff working. Maybe it's closing, maybe it's not, hard to say based on a cursory walk around the place.

I did get 50% off the things I needed though so thanks OP!

casio4

Those people that were in the shop, did any of you ask the staff if it was closing?

godtabh

markpb wrote: »

I was there this morning and nothing much has changed that I could see. A small area on the first floor has been blocked off and a few shelves have been removed so it feels a bit empty but I think some other posters might be overselling the post-apocalyptic vision of Hamleys. The shelves are still fully stocked and there was the usual amount of staff working. Maybe it's closing, maybe it's not, hard to say based on a cursory walk around the place.

I did get 50% off the things I needed though so thanks OP!

Did you see the lego left? Sweet FA

tedpan

I rang them last week to order some Lego, the girl told me they were shutting down operations in Ireland. Obviously not doing the business they expected.

JupiterKid

I was there once and was distinctly unimpressed. Extremely overpriced and not in the best location in Dundrum.

But I've heard rumours that Brexit could lead to many UK chain stores pulling out of Ireland. Any truth to that?

fleet_admiral

I work across the road and know the centre manager very well. It's happening and they won't be the only big store to close/pull out

mac_daddy

Those people that were in the shop, did any of you ask the staff if it was closing?

I asked them when I was in yesterday.... May 7th

Trigger Happy

I was in there this morning and May 7th closing confirmed.
I got a scalectric kit, still have a few of them in stock. Great bargain alert OP!

lowelife

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I was in there this morning and May 7th closing confirmed.
I got a scalectric kit, still have a few of them in stock. Great bargain alert OP!

Username checks out

vicwatson

Trigger Happy wrote: »

I was in there this morning and May 7th closing confirmed.
I got a scalectric kit, still have a few of them in stock. Great bargain alert OP!

Which set and how much?

5rtytry56

lowelife wrote: »

Username checks out

Trigger, don't forget to let your chizlur 'win' each race with it.

5rtytry56

lowelife wrote: »

Username checks out

Trigger, don't forget to let your chizlur 'win' each race with it.

CeilingFly

The big "closing down sale" banner on their Facebook page might confirm it

The €1m rent might have something to do with it and the fact that its 10years since they opened and lease was up. They'd be entitled to a new lease, but probably decided it wasn't worth it

Muahahaha

fleet_admiral wrote: »

I work across the road and know the centre manager very well. It's happening and they won't be the only big store to close/pull out

Maplins also closing down so I would say there is something in that.

ted1

Muahahaha wrote: »

fleet_admiral wrote: »

I work across the road and know the centre manager very well. It's happening and they won't be the only big store to close/pull out

Maplins also closing down so I would say there is something in that.

Both ridiculously over priced. Hamleys was many times dearer than symths and mailings was many many times dearer than online stores. Not to many of the other stores have the same price differential

Trigger Happy

vicwatson wrote: »

Which set and how much?

Le Mans kit. It was not marked down but 60 at check out.

Rasputin87

xpletiv wrote: »

Just a poor area to set up; right at the end of the centre. If it were inside itd probably have done a lot better. But overpriced as heck compared to online.

I live less than a 5 minute drive from Dundrum, and go there several times a month. I never knew Hamley's existed!

road_high

ted1 wrote: »

Both ridiculously over priced. Hamleys was many times dearer than symths and mailings was many many times dearer than online stores. Not to many of the other stores have the same price differential

Yea, for mainstream stuff like Lego etc Hamleys was way more expensive. Anything I ever bought there was their own branded stuff which was on offer. If the rent is 1 million euro per year I can see why they're leaving. Often in there and the tills would be devoid of staff and very few people actually buying anything. Shame as it was a nice store but the pricing was wrong.

Seems to be another wave of store closures going on now- the online market and the push of discount retailers such as Dealz and Penneys as well as ridiculous rates/rents is causing another cull.

road_high

Was in there last January and things did look ominous. Empty shelves, skeleton staff looked as if it was just about ticking long.

BelovedAunt

Any lego left lads?

ted1

OmegaGene wrote: »

ted1 wrote: »

Both ridiculously over priced. Hamleys was many times dearer than symths and mailings was many many times dearer than online stores. Not to many of the other stores have the same price differential

Yes you are correct
Hamleys is more expensive than smyths toys
But smyths toys is more expensive than buying online also
What’s that got to do with the bargain alert for hamleys

Bricks and mortar store has more overheads than online shops

In fairness they are often cheaper than online stores.

It’s to do with a comment that many more stores are going to be closing

NinjaTruncs

BelovedAunt wrote: »

Any lego left lads?

There was barely any lego in the shop before Christmas, my wife was in there over the weekend and said there was basically none left.

bk

Brexit, if you just have one or two shops in Ireland, it probably won't be worth it post-Brexit, due to the cost overhead of accounting, currency, import/export duties, etc.

On the other hand, it isn't all bad news. Good opportunity for local Irish companies and many mainland European companies are looking at coming here after British companies leave.

For instance Decathlon, the massive French sports goods store is looking to open 9 stores here.

vicwatson

OmegaGene wrote: »

With the amount of stores hamleys have worldwide I don’t think they are in trouble financially just a crap location and smyths are popping up everywhere dominating the market
I’ve been to dundrum loads of times and didn’t even know it was there

Charging too much = people go to smyths

bk

OmegaGene wrote: »

With 26 stores in the uk and 90 worldwide loacations from Dubai to Africa I doubt Brexit is the reason for closing that shop in dundrum more like crippling rents

And you don't think they are paying crippling rents in Dubai or London!!

Mark Hamill

At €2/100g, there where the cheapest for Jelly belly jellybeans. And it was pick'n'mix too, so you could make sure to only get the good flavours.

road_high

OmegaGene wrote: »

With the amount of stores hamleys have worldwide I don’t think they are in trouble financially just a crap location and smyths are popping up everywhere dominating the market
I’ve been to dundrum loads of times and didn’t even know it was there

I don't think they have many stores worldwide, just a few in select places. The only one I've seen in England was the original in London (which is super expensive btw). Their website list Dublin as a UK store...! (which is not unusual for the English!!)

road_high

bk wrote: »

Brexit, if you just have one or two shops in Ireland, it probably won't be worth it post-Brexit, due to the cost overhead of accounting, currency, import/export duties, etc.

On the other hand, it isn't all bad news. Good opportunity for local Irish companies and many mainland European companies are looking at coming here after British companies leave.

For instance Decathlon, the massive French sports goods store is looking to open 9 stores here.

It's not Brexit...if that were the case why have a store in Russia etc? They're not in any same economic zone either. No, it's rents and rates that are killing stores here. Someone said a million euro just to rent the unit at Dundrum? That is obscene, especially anytime I've gone in there's hardly a person spending money at a till!
Also if it's Brexit why are the likes of Superdrug and SportsDirect etc expanding here??

jimmynokia

road_high wrote: »

It's not Brexit...if that were the case why have a store in Russia etc? They're not in any same economic zone either. No, it's rents and rates that are killing stores here. Someone said a million euro just to rent the unit at Dundrum? That is obscene, especially anytime I've gone in there's hardly a person spending money at a till!
Also if it's Brexit why are the likes of Superdrug and SportsDirect etc expanding here??

Its not brexit?? Others think different but who am i to judge http://www.businessinsider.com/toys-r-us-maplin-administration-jobs-at-risk-ceo-blames-brexit-2018-2?r=UK&IR=T

banie01

Did they sell their giant Giraffe yet?

CeilingFly

jimmynokia wrote: »

Its not brexit?? Others think different but who am i to judge http://www.businessinsider.com/toys-r-us-maplin-administration-jobs-at-risk-ceo-blames-brexit-2018-2?r=UK&IR=T

Brexit had nothing to do with maplin. It simply did not keep up with changing retail environment. Way overpriced, a lot of obsolete stock, large retail floors and poor locations.
Almost the same for Toys r us.

Former ceo's will always want to blame external sources, but reality is maplin was old and tired. Radio shack suffered the same fate in usa.


Hamleys just didn't catch the imagination of the Irish consumer and with a massive Smyths store a few minutes up the road in Carrickmines, (paying substantially less rent) it was always on the back foot.

road_high

CeilingFly wrote: »

Brexit had nothing to do with maplin. It simply did not keep up with changing retail environment. Way overpriced, a lot of obsolete stock, large retail floors and poor locations.
Almost the same for Toys r us.

Former ceo's will always want to blame external sources, but reality is maplin was old and tired. Radio shack suffered the same fate in usa.


Hamleys just didn't catch the imagination of the Irish consumer and with a massive Smyths store a few minutes up the road in Carrickmines, (paying substantially less rent) it was always on the back foot.

Exactly, I liked Hamleys but the range of stock and value compared to a Ken Black/Smyth store wasn't competitive. People aren't going to pay extra for the same item in Hamleys for the privilege of the "Hamleys Experience". I only ever bought stuff on offer or their own branded stuff. For all else they weren't really at the races.

road_high

jimmynokia wrote: »

Its not brexit?? Others think different but who am i to judge http://www.businessinsider.com/toys-r-us-maplin-administration-jobs-at-risk-ceo-blames-brexit-2018-2?r=UK&IR=T

Why are English stores like Dealz, SportsDirect and Superdrug expanding rapidly here then?