Blanchardstown Centre - history of tenants

I see name it and the JD sports beside it are both closed down

'Ran out of money' is an understatement tbf, didn't the finance chief rob loads of money from them?

Wow the inside of the centre on the bottom floor is going to be like a ghost-town...

ongarboy wrote: »

I was in the centre Thursday evening for the first time since before Christmas and the upper floor between Burtons and Zara is very empty with about 4/5 vacant units. You wonder why they have all these planning permissions submitted to expand the centre, add kiosks etc if existing units can't be filled.

I say has to with high rent., With all the vacancy. The kiosk less renting space.

Sounds like the landlords cutting off their noses to spite their faces then. Hiking up a rent that a tenant cannot afford, tenant vacates and unit lies empty indefinitely. One of those units has been empty for a couple of years apart from an EZ Living pop up shop in it for a short while. Unless as Murray says, the landlords may be targeting a large retailer by amalgamating the units so are proactively getting rid of the individual tenants. I'm trying to think of what large retailer does not have a presence in Blanch already (maybe H&M would relocate with a new Mens section). Massimo Dutti or Hollister are others I suppose.

ciaran76 wrote: »

With the Debenhams news today be very interesting to see who takes their place. Huge amount of space there.

Tesco be nice

Then you have all the grocery with Iceland 5 minutes away

LorelaiG wrote: »

Tesco would be amazing, do you think Dunnes and now Aldi would allow it though? Imagine grocery on the bottom floor and everything else on the second floor like Roches Stores used to have.

Well Dunnes let Aldi (I think Dunnes own their unit so have some power
Plus if American owners are like the ones who football clubs, then they wont let stuff get in the way of making money

The new Tesco in Liffey Valley has a costa and I think they where taking over the old Debenhams cafe

Also pleny of room for Tesco Mobile, Vision Express, Costa Coffee, Holland & Barrett etc as in liffey valley

Be nice a nice layout, their clothes are good, cheap and fit larger people :cool:

It would be great to see Marks and Spencer take over the Debenhams unit.
Food on ground floor and clothing etc upstairs.

I don't think you're having the conversation on the level of impact in the sector.

There may not be an M&S left to take over the former Debenhams unit after all this.

Last year they made just 37 million stg on revenues of 11 Billion. They are paying the costs of 1,500 stores and 80,000 staff around the world and they haven't sold so much as a pair of knickers in most of those stores in a month. Yes their food halls remain open but hardly at the target level of a global economy crashing through the floor like never seen before.

Thats only one example. Boots aren't shifting anything except drugs and essentials, no one needs makeup, suncream, fake tan, or a million other luxuries.

The only retailers pretty well assured to come out of this alive are the grocery multiples - and even then only the ones who run a tight ship. In the UK for instance , the likes of Waitrose may get dragged down by its John Lewis arm.

There are quite possibly stores you've known your whole life you will never walk into again.

Larbre34 wrote: »

I don't think you're having the conversation on the level of impact in the sector.

There may not be an M&S left to take over the former Debenhams unit after all this.

Last year they made just 37 million stg on revenues of 11 Billion. They are paying the costs of 1,500 stores and 80,000 staff around the world and they haven't sold so much as a pair of knickers in most of those stores in a month. Yes their food halls remain open but hardly at the target level of a global economy crashing through the floor like never seen before.

Thats only one example. Boots aren't shifting anything except drugs and essentials, no one needs makeup, suncream, fake tan, or a million other luxuries.

The only retailers pretty well assured to come out of this alive are the grocery multiples - and even then only the ones who run a tight ship. In the UK for instance , the likes of Waitrose may get dragged down by its John Lewis arm.

There are quite possibly stores you've known your whole life you will never walk into again.

Actually up until last week, there was a queue to get access to Boots online section. They have been overwhelmed with online sales. Similarly with M&S, impossible to get regular sizes online at the moment, of course not essential purchases by any means. I'd say the food side of business should result in profits for M&S as all supermarkets are busy and hopefully that will keep them in business and the staff in jobs.

Larbre34 wrote: »

And how is a boon in online sales supposed to motivate company boards and shareholders to invest in bricks and mortar, or even to maintain existing footprint?

I am not sure there can be said to be a boom in online sales. Many companies have shut their online stores and those that are operating are doing so with severe social distancing restrictions. Less people in the warehouse trying to keep up. There also seems to be a change in what people are ordering (fashion well down, necessaries way up). Lots of small items.

While there will be a recession when restrictions are lifted, I am not sure online has gained a foothold that was not there before.