New Business openings and closures around you?

Speaking of Dunnes, anyone know when the unit currently being built in Monkstown plans to open?

I always thought union cafe seemed to do well especially the coffee part which would be booming at weekends with people walking around the park etc. and the food part

Would appreciate a bit more detail so I know what to expect if they roll them out in my local Lidl…

1. Is there always at least one old-fashioned checkout lane in operation?
2. Is there a dedicated person attending the self-service machines e.g if you can't find a fresh food item on the menus or a packaged item won't scan, is there someone you can summon to help out?
3. Did you notice how many SS machines there are in Dundrum, especially when compared to the total number of (manned or unmanned) checkout lanes??

And up the road in Rathfarnham.

I think someone had previously mentioned that their local Lidl had moved to using nothing but self-service checkouts, ie took away all the tills. Obvs that's daft and hopefully what we'll see in most places is a sensible mix between the two.

I often get just one or two things from Aldi and it's a pain tbh.

A couple of years ago I asked why no express checkouts (like every other supermarket) and the response was a shrug and that it's "not our model".

Aldi Nutgrove yes

That's a good point and something that I forgot about. If someone has a full trolley or even a well filled wheelie basket, there won't be enough room for all of their purchases at a self-service checkout so I can't see any store not having at least one manned (personned?) checkout lane. All of the SS machines I've seen in Tesco, Dunnes and the Dealz shop in Stillorgan SC are the same model and there is only a small shelf for your purchases.

That's the issue. I've seen so many places with plenty footfall closing down. There must be some serious costs that we are not hearing about. Is is a case of landlords seeing a premise doing well and increase the rent at the end of the lease?

Yes - imagine there would be a cafe sol cafe offering there anyway like they have in their high end stores now

Think a dunnes there would do well - families getting snacks and pastries for the park, sunday morning bread and brekkie bits, as well as the neighboring houses for shopping. The SV nearby is always jammed, so they won't be happy 😬

Closed a few branches it seems. Thought that was a good location for a butcher beside LIDL but some of their meat was pricey enough without the premium taste / look and feel

Hopefully somebody new moves in - can't remember what was there before

Robbies is a spin off of the Old Church shop and is located further along same road where it become Drumartin Road.