What is it about Ireland that makes UK retail fail here?

LambshankRedemption

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123961797#Comment_123961797

I thought the same the last time i was there!

magicbastarder

what's the saying? west galway is where hippies who haven't made their fortune go, and west cork is where the ones who have made their fortune end up.

Bogey Lowenstein

Halfords seem to do alright here.

RoTelly

Are there examples outside of the two German supermarkets of other international retailers that have achieved success in the Irish market?

Harvey Norman, Curry's?

L1011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124012781#Comment_124012781

Currys is British so not an "other".

H&M group - H&M, &otherstores, Arket - Swedish.

Besteller - Jack Jones, Vera Moda, Name It - Danish

Inditex - Zara etc - Spanish

flyingtiger - Danish

IKEA - Swedish

Decathlon - French

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124012773#Comment_124012773

Lack of competition. Or at least lack of obvious brand awareness of competitors.

In point of fact, there are a handful of small Irish car care and accessories retail chains out there, they just aren't as well known and cannot afford the big retail park locations like Halfords do.

Auto Care P&A have 9 branches around Leinster.

Parts for Cars have 3 Dublin branches and I always use them. For consumables like bulbs and lubricants they are actually much cheaper than Halfords. And Halfords stock levels can be pathetic.

I suppose Halfords do a lot of their business in bikes and camping gear now too, but I'd always encourage anyone to use an Irish retailer, even if the item is a small bit more expensive. Keeping the sales in the country is much better for everyone in the long run. And you will get a far more attentive sales and aftersales experience.

cobham

Homebase gone

Mother Shaboobu

Thought it was just the decline of bricks and mortar retail in general. I really don't think there was a huge movement of "Oh no, not buying there because of Brexit or the Paddy tax or (bizarre comment) I don't like the English." (If it's because "we" don't like the English, how come several British stores thrived here for decades until online shopping affected their bottom line?) If people want the product, they want the product. M&S, Boots, Next, River Island are still going.

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124012781#Comment_124012781

Founded in The Netherlands in 1932, SPAR is the world’s largest grocery chain https://www.spar.ie/about-spar/

& most of the petrol companies.

kneemos

Dealz is Poundland.

Busman Paddy Lasty

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124012803#Comment_124012803But seems to have been replaced by a sister company!

https://dublingazette.com/dublinlocalmatters/news/the-range-santry-opens-featuring-garden-centre-by-homebase/

https://dublingazette.com/dublinlocalmatters/news/the-range-santry-opens-featuring-garden-centre-by-homebase/

Not sure what's going on there but spending a few pound on a .ie website and a bit of advertising could help.

Larbre34

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124012781#Comment_124012781

Boots.

odyssey06

Chemist Warehouse expanding into here from Australia... remains to be seen if their model will work long term but big savings currently on medicines.

kneemos

We're five million souls. Any drop in sales would quickly make it not worthwhile.

A lot of chain stores operate on a high volume low margin model.

RoTelly

Tiger, IKEA and JYSK also

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124013444#Comment_124013444

paid a few visits and like them. Big savings on medicines, toiletries and fragrances but a lot of people more recently this year are criticising them over being regularly out of stock of various everyday household toiletries and medicines…..others being available ‘online only’…

Capt'n Midnight

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/124013477#Comment_124013477

Carrefour and hyper stores like that don't operate here because we limit store sizes.

So there'd be less competition.

Having Superquin and Quinsworth replaced by SuperValu and Tesco means there room for something like a Sainsburys that's a good step above.

rob316

I'd say screwfix is doing very well here, small footprint stores, no competition (UK has multiple competitors like ToolStation and Wickes) and can take a good chunk out of the builder merchants who generally rip off the casual customer.

Big fan of screwfix tbh, doing a job late, need a part and I can check do they have it in stock. Prices are very competitive and theirs no faffing about like at the trade counters in builder merchants.