Blanchardstown Centre - history of tenants

miamee · 16-12-2017 6:26pm

Quite a while since this has been updated but I noticed today that Clarks shoes have closed their old unit and moved across the way to the unit where Adams and then Pumpkin Patch used to be. Also Shoe Zone is having a closing down sale.

ongarboy · 16-12-2017 9:10pm

miamee wrote: »

Quite a while since this has been updated but I noticed today that Clarks shoes have closed their old unit and moved across the way to the unit where Adams and then Pumpkin Patch used to be. Also Shoe Zone is having a closing down sale.

Sounds like they'll merge those two units then! Shoe zone shoes always looked cheap, the smell of the plastic from all the fake leather shoes was outputting.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 16-12-2017 9:30pm

Is it an actual closing down sale though? They quite often have clear out sales that make it look like they're closing.

daymobrew · 17-12-2017 2:09pm

Earlier this year there was an approved planning application to divide unit 204 (Quiz) into two.

There was also a plan to change another one or two units (located around Shoe Zone) into two levels, adding a floor above them. I cannot find that planning application.

miamee · 18-12-2017 1:29pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Is it an actual closing down sale though? They quite often have clear out sales that make it look like they're closing.

I don't know to be honest, it said so in the shop but no closing dates or anything that I could see. It's not a shop I'd be in very often.

miamee · 18-12-2017 1:29pm

ongarboy wrote: »

Sounds like they'll merge those two units then! Shoe zone shoes always looked cheap, the smell of the plastic from all the fake leather shoes was outputting.

Thorntons is between the two though.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 18-12-2017 2:16pm

miamee wrote: »

Thorntons is between the two though.

Thorntons is closing after Christmas too. Lady in there told me that a few months ago.

miamee · 18-12-2017 3:14pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Thorntons is closing after Christmas too. Lady in there told me that a few months ago.

Oh really? The one is Stephen's Green is closed a good while so it's not that surprising.

Gavin "shels" · 28-03-2018 5:59pm

Simply Cleaning shut down Monday. Big sign in the window.

Tazz T · 28-03-2018 6:34pm

All the vacancies are down to massive rent hikes since US vulture fund, Blackstone, bought the place

http://www.shelflife.ie/vulture-funds-pushing-rents-leading-shopping-centres/

Expect half a dozen more corporations to move when all they've cleared out the small businesses.

Happening everywhere. A couple places gone out of business beside me in Ashtown when rents were pushed up to make the units look as if they were highly profitable to vulture funds (most of them have never been rented out since they were built ten years ago because of the ridiculous rents).

BabysCoffee · 28-03-2018 9:24pm

Gavin shels wrote: »

Simply Cleaning shut down Monday. Big sign in the window.

What was this shop? Never heard of it before

Pat Dunne · 28-03-2018 9:43pm

BabysCoffee wrote: »

What was this shop? Never heard of it before

A Dry Cleaner's.

ongarboy · 28-03-2018 11:16pm

I don't think I'd traipse all the way into Blanchardstown shopping center to get some shirts dry cleaned.

Gavin "shels" · 29-03-2018 12:02am

The sign saying anyone who had stuff with them have to collect it from Simply Cleaning in Maynooth from what I gathered.... pretty crap on their side of things!

LoonyLovegood · 29-03-2018 10:22am

That'd been there for years, hadn't it? I remember being terrified of the key cutting mannequin thing they had as a kid!

miamee · 29-03-2018 10:24am

LoonyLovegood wrote: »

That'd been there for years, hadn't it? I remember being terrified of the key cutting mannequin thing they had as a kid!

Yes it's been there for a long while though it initially used to be downstairs where either Build A Bear or Arts & Hobby shop is. Or maybe that was a different dry cleaners?

daymobrew · 29-03-2018 11:00am

miamee wrote: »

Yes it's been there for a long while though it initially used to be downstairs where either Build A Bear or Arts & Hobby shop is. Or maybe that was a different dry cleaners?

From my records (which could quite easily be inaccurate), Kay's Cafe was where Build a Bear was: http://www.blanchcentrehistory.com/tag/145/

Art & Hobby replaced Lifestyle Sports: http://www.blanchcentrehistory.com/?s=hobby

miamee · 29-03-2018 11:02am

daymobrew wrote: »

From my records (which could quite easily be inaccurate), Kay's Cafe was where Build a Bear was: http://www.blanchcentrehistory.com/tag/145/

Art & Hobby replaced Lifestyle Sports: http://www.blanchcentrehistory.com/?s=hobby

You're right about Kay's Kitchen, my sister worked in it when it was on that side.

Lifestyle Sports wasn't the original tenant in that spot as far as I remember but I could be going back 15+ years now...!

LoonyLovegood · 29-03-2018 11:04am

I think it was Simply Clean before Lifestyle, but Lifestyle definitely weren't the original tenant there.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 29-03-2018 11:44am

Kay's was pretty big. I think it took most of that side there. Originally there was a tacky little clothes shop in the first unit, beside the toilets. The cleaners was next to it and then Kay's took up the build a bear and the pretzel place.

January · 29-03-2018 12:48pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Kay's was pretty big. I think it took most of that side there. Originally there was a tacky little clothes shop in the first unit, beside the toilets. The cleaners was next to it and then Kay's took up the build a bear and the pretzel place.

Was just coming to say the exact same thing.

DoozerT6 · 07-04-2018 6:23pm

Is Ann Summers closing down? I was in a hurry through the centre today and I thought I saw 'Everything Must Go!!' signs in the windows.

Gavin "shels" · 12-04-2018 10:01am

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Is Ann Summers closing down? I was in a hurry through the centre today and I thought I saw 'Everything Must Go!!' signs in the windows.

Just looked like an end of season sale or something when I passed last night.

The new Pair kiosk outside Tiger is closed down... not surprised tbh.

Newbridge next to Ann Summers is closed - moving downstairs near Starbucks.

Gavin "shels" · 28-04-2018 10:58pm

Sale signs down on Ann Summers - doesn't seem like it's closing tbf

Gavin "shels" · 02-05-2018 11:42pm

Shoezone gone - replaced with EZ Living

daymobrew · 03-05-2018 11:54am

Gavin shels wrote: »

Shoezone gone - replaced with EZ Living

That's a rather small unit for furniture. Does it act as an advert for their larger unit over beside Halfords?

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 03-05-2018 1:58pm

daymobrew wrote: »

That's a rather small unit for furniture. Does it act as an advert for their larger unit over beside Halfords?

They've done that a few times before, taken an empty unit for a short period and it acts like advertising for the bigger store. Management are probably happy to have one less boarded up unit for a while.

Gavin "shels" · 03-05-2018 6:57pm

daymobrew wrote: »

That's a rather small unit for furniture. Does it act as an advert for their larger unit over beside Halfords?

Sorry it was EZ Living Accessories.

Gavin "shels" · 31-05-2018 12:50am

Gavin shels wrote: »

The new Pair kiosk outside Tiger is closed down... not surprised tbh.

That kiosk unit is now gone outside Diesel/Tiger with the phone cover stall from outside H&M/Fields moving around there. Layout is much better imo

LorelaiG · 31-05-2018 3:40pm

What was the store on the other side of that pair mobile kiosk? Or was there one?

Tzardine · 31-05-2018 3:46pm

Does anybody remember the shop that was beside Roches Stores, near where the florist is now. I think it was attached to a butchers. They did hot rolls at lunch time. They had hot roast beef / turkey joints and chicken. There used to be a mad Q there.

I think it might have been called Gleesons actually. Probably 15 years ago.

LorelaiG · 31-05-2018 3:49pm

Yeah Gleesons used to be down that end and I do remember them doing rolls at lunch time!

Gavin "shels" · 31-05-2018 7:01pm

LorelaiG wrote: »

What was the store on the other side of that pair mobile kiosk? Or was there one?

Wasn't it that supplement store where the woman was always sitting on the stool at the entrance to it?

LorelaiG · 31-05-2018 7:07pm

Yeah I thought that but actually hadn't noticed it was gone! Mad if so, he's been there yearrrssss.

ongarboy · 31-05-2018 8:04pm

I specifically remember the Starbucks down there now replacing a butcher's so it must've been that unit. Kay's had a much smaller restaurant in or around there too before they moved across the way.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 31-05-2018 8:11pm

ongarboy wrote: »

I specifically remember the Starbucks down there now replacing a butcher's so it must've been that unit. Kay's had a much smaller restaurant in or around there too before they moved across the way.

Kay's was beside the fountain, almost literally opposite where it is now.

Samuel T. Cogley · 31-05-2018 8:11pm

Fond memories of Time Computers, we got punted over from Scotland as it was easier than recruiting managers in Dublin and we were let run riot. We had a family of ducks living in the fire corridor at one point. Far too much time and money spent in the Budda bar!!

daymobrew · 01-06-2018 8:49am

Gavin shels wrote: »

Wasn't it that supplement store where the woman was always sitting on the stool at the entrance to it?

Was that Tony Quinn Health Store?

Gavin "shels" · 01-06-2018 10:24am

daymobrew wrote: »

Was that Tony Quinn Health Store?

Ye that's the one - I could be wrong but nearly sure it's gone, unless they're moving.

Tzardine · 01-06-2018 1:29pm

Gavin shels wrote: »

Wasn't it that supplement store where the woman was always sitting on the stool at the entrance to it?

I always felt sorry for her. I imagine she had a massive debt to Tony Quinn. A friend of mine was caught up with them. Spent about 30 grand on "courses".

avalidusername · 02-06-2018 12:16am

Tzardine wrote: »

I always felt sorry for her. I imagine she had a massive debt to Tony Quinn. A friend of mine was caught up with them. Spent about 30 grand on "courses".

Likewise, I always thought she was working there an incredibly long time and never looked very happy. Spoke to her once buying something and she was friendly and helpful though.

I've a vague memory of one of the Sunday tabloids doing an exposé on Tony Quinn as somewhat of a cult leader a few years back, don't think it gained much traction so it died down after a week or two.

Only realised that unit was changed reading this thread, is it the sunglasses or eyebrow place now?

My most missed unit is the Pickamix place downstairs, I spent way more money than I should have on fizzy cherry cola bottles!

:D

JupiterKid · 13-06-2018 3:10am

What’s happening to this hare-brained plan to add more kiosks to the Blanch Centre?

It’s clear to me that the Centre needs to be extended and redeveloped around its edges. The surface car parks should be replaced with multi-storeys. Some of the malls could be extended further out. Also the whole complex with the retail parks around the edges is pedestrian unfriendly, particularly in bad weather.

The Centre has generally aged well in 22 years (wow - that long since it opened?? :eek:) but it seems to me that it can’t keep up with the sheer population growth of Dublin 15 and neighbouring areas like County Meath from which it draws much of its customer base from.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 13-06-2018 9:47am

JupiterKid wrote: »

What’s happening to this hare-brained plan to add more kiosks to the Blanch Centre?

It’s clear to me that the Centre needs to be extended and redeveloped around its edges. The surface car parks should be replaced with multi-storeys. Some of the malls could be extended further out. Also the whole complex with the retail parks around the edges is pedestrian unfriendly, particularly in bad weather.

The Centre has generally aged well in 22 years (wow - that long since it opened?? :eek:) but it seems to me that it can’t keep up with the sheer population growth of Dublin 15 and neighbouring areas like County Meath from which it draws much of its customer base from.

They are supposed to be extending into the yellow car park and then turning one of the other car parks into another multi story. They announced that ages ago though. There's more units empty in the centre at the moment than I ever remember there being so expanding seems a bit odd at the moment. Who knows.

ongarite · 13-06-2018 1:36pm

Centre doesn't need expanding at all, just better traffic management.
There are too many vacant units already and I can think of any big brands missing from the place.

Established UK retailers who also trade in the Ireland are facing some serious trading issues.
Fast fashion is moving online with the likes of ASOS, MandM & Boohoo taking large market share.
Not too many EU based retailers who would be interested in coming into the small Irish market.

TICKLE_ME_ELMO · 13-06-2018 3:47pm

Some of the anchor tenants could do with bigger units. Dunnes and M&S are both pretty rubbish compared to some of their other stores around the country. Expanding into the yellow could work for Dunnes but I'm sure they own the unit they're in there and it's the centre that's supposedly expanding so it's unlikely they will too.

Nolimits · 14-06-2018 9:21pm

TICKLE_ME_ELMO wrote: »

Some of the anchor tenants could do with bigger units. Dunnes and M&S are both pretty rubbish compared to some of their other stores around the country. Expanding into the yellow could work for Dunnes but I'm sure they own the unit they're in there and it's the centre that's supposedly expanding so it's unlikely they will too.

Dunnes won't be expanding anytime soon. If you've been in there recently you'll see there's some work started. This is actually a huge job, should be finished around November. The shop will be getting a little bigger but basically everything is changing, James Whelan, Baxter and Green, a Cheesemonger and Cafe Sol all going in over the next few months. So basically they won't be expanding anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

daymobrew · 15-06-2018 9:08am

Nolimits wrote: »

basically everything is changing, James Whelan, Baxter and Green, a Cheesemonger and Cafe Sol all going in over the next few months. So basically they won't be expanding anywhere else for the foreseeable future.

How do you know which tenants are incoming?
I (poorly) maintain Blanch Centre History so would love to get advance info.

Nolimits · 15-06-2018 10:20am

daymobrew wrote: »

How do you know which tenants are incoming?
I (poorly) maintain Blanch Centre History so would love to get advance info.

They're not new tenants, they'll be inside Dunnes. They are companies owned by Dunnes.

ongarboy · 15-06-2018 7:52pm

Yeah, Dunnes are doing an upgrade of their flagship stores. Stephens Green, Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Henry St already had their makeovers. Glad to see Blanch getting done too!

LorelaiG · 15-06-2018 11:27pm

Does this mean the dunnes cafe will be gone?

Blanchardstown Centre - history of tenants

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