Spar, Centra, Mace, Londis etc

darkman2 · 20-01-2010 12:26AM #1

Anyone think that, em, there is way too many of each of these shops opening up everywhere? Im not complaining about the convienience - they are convienient (and expensive) but they are everywhere now. Does a new Spar open every day or something? Some streets in Dublin now have 2 or 3 Spars on them. Then you have Mace, Londis and the rest. UK chains incidentally. Our towns and cities are no different now to any below average UK city. It's hardly supprising that in a certain UK shop in Dublin I use to work some British people now and again genuinely did'nt realise they were not in the UK!

Also they all look the same. Why do they all have to look exactly the same? I know they are brands but surely a bit of thought could go into the shop front designs etc. Terrible what is being allowed to happen to our towns and Dublin by British multinationals (and to a lesser evil extent American ones). All our streets look the same. Spars everywhere.

Oh and in case anyone says more of these shops mean cheaper things - I hope people don't genuinely believe these shops are competing with each other on price in this country...Near me is a Centra and a Mace within 500m of each other. 2L bottle of coke €2.45 in both of them. Rip off.

(just an example)

MaybeLogic · 20-01-2010 12:27AM

I thought they were all franchises?

20-01-2010 12:27AM

give it time, they'll wear each other down with lowering prices.

Survival of the fittest.

yoshytoshy · 20-01-2010 12:27AM

I think this of pharmacy's ,so obvious they're cash printing machines.

Mediocrity · 20-01-2010 12:28AM

What a stupid thread title.

mike65 · 20-01-2010 12:28AM

Dey is creatin' alour jobz

GLaDOS · 20-01-2010 12:29AM

Do you wish to send Spar and 4 other chains to the recycle bin?

4zn76tysfajdxp · 20-01-2010 12:31AM

darkman2 wrote: »

Should Spar, Centra, Mace, Londis etc be deleted?

If you have a problem with them, report their posts.

starbelgrade · 20-01-2010 12:33AM

Why not just stop shopping in these shops & vote with yr feet?

big_show · 20-01-2010 12:34AM

Yes they should, once they stop selling cheap cheap rolls! :pac:

yoshytoshy · 20-01-2010 12:34AM

starbelgrade wrote: »

Why not just stop shopping in these shops & vote with yr feet?

Everyone should shop in boots:pac:

darkman2 · 20-01-2010 12:34AM

starbelgrade wrote: »

Why not just stop shopping in these shops & vote with yr feet?

Cos they are the only shops now in my near enough vicinity.:rolleyes:

Dudess · 20-01-2010 12:35AM

Thread about this on the Dublin City forum at the mo'.

As I said on it, the amount of Spars in Dublin does make me chuckle. Metres away from each other some of them are...

Karoma · 20-01-2010 12:35AM

darkman2 wrote: »

Cos they are the only shops now in my near enough vicinity.:rolleyes:

So you choose laziness over market competition? You're your own enemy.

mike65 · 20-01-2010 12:37AM

Dudess wrote: »

Thread about this on the Dublin City forum at the mo'.

As I said on it, the amount of Spars in Dublin does make me chuckle. Metres away from each other some of them are...

So we can look forward to some Spar Wars?

brummytom · 20-01-2010 12:37AM

Isn't Spar a co-operative? So I don't really see the problem, it's not really a chain, more independent corner-shops.

But you have got loads

Azureus · 20-01-2010 12:37AM

With this whole recession thing, I made a decision to start shopping in the lil local shops to support them..
It was then I noticed that aside from them not employing Irish people, they were costing me a fortune.
Spar roll and 500ml bottle of coke = 2.80e.
Wouldnt do a full shop there, but dammit they get me through college so capitalism all the way.
Now Im off to Starbucks

Dudess · 20-01-2010 12:38AM

mike65 wrote: »

So we can look forward to some Spar Wars?

Spar spars?

Linku · 20-01-2010 12:40AM

Typical AH anti-UK bs without facts thrown in for no reason.

Musgraves, a private Irish company own Centra in Ireland and own Londis in the UK. The Londis brand in Ireland is owned by ADM Londis plc., and Irish publically listed company.

Another private Irish wholeseller, BWG Foods own the Mace, Spar and XL Stop & Shop brands in Ireland.

I'm pretty sure all of these stores are franchised, owned by local people, so very little of the money leaves the country.

darkman2 · 20-01-2010 12:41AM

Karoma wrote: »

So you choose laziness over market competition? You're your own enemy.

No, I go to other stores when I can. But in my locality, i.e within 25 minute walking distance, these are the only two stores. I should not have to drive out of my area anytime I want something small for example but according to your point, which I agree with,it appears I have to. They don't compete at all with each other on prices. It's like they meet in the local pub and decide what they will both charge this week.

mike65 · 20-01-2010 12:42AM

Dudess wrote: »

Spar spars?

Its when Mace mace Spar during a spar that things will have got out of hand.

ps like the icon

yoshytoshy · 20-01-2010 12:44AM

I've myself trained to buy only certain goods in spar ,stuff that I can't be overcharged for.
Bread ,milk ,bacon stuff like that.

Karoma · 20-01-2010 12:44AM

darkman2 wrote: »

No, I go to other stores when I can. But in my locality, i.e within 25 minute walking distance, these are the only two stores. I should not have to drive out of my area anytime I want something small for example but according to your point, which I agree with,it appears I have to. They don't compete at all with each other on prices. It's like they meet in the local pub and decide what they will both charge this week.

You're being ridiculous. They have telephones and email to fix prices, these days.
25 minutes? The solution is easy: walk faster. Duh.

Mike 1972 · 20-01-2010 12:44AM

More choice, competion, convenience (not to mention jobs) ? Omigawd how terrible

darkman2 wrote: »

UK chains incidentally. .... Terrible what is being allowed to happen to our towns and Dublin by British multinationals (and to a lesser evil extent American ones).

Next thing theyll steal our Women and rape our potatoes

darkman2 wrote: »

2L bottle of coke

You were saying something about the evils of foreign multinational corporations ........:rolleyes:

ScouseMouse · 20-01-2010 12:47AM

Just to let you know:

Centra is irish, independantly owned stores operating under the brand Centra (and Supervalu). Musgrave in cork are the head company. Very Irish.

Londis is irish, independantly owned stores operating under the brand Londis. Adm Londis are the head company in Johnstown, just outside Naas who own, the brand Very Irish. The have no connection to any foreign londis.

Spar is again an irish operated company. Irish rights owned by BWG foods in Walkinstown. Most stores independantly operated and owned.

They are all irish, not foreign.

But you are right about the amount of them. When you have two spars and a londis on one street, its taking the mickey. I believe the two spars closed down. This was Gardner street in dublin.

Tchaikovsky · 20-01-2010 12:50AM

Spar is Dutch, by the way

Coming soon: Starbucks

starbelgrade · 20-01-2010 12:50AM

Linku wrote: »

I'm pretty sure all of these stores are franchised, owned by local people, so very little of the money leaves the country.

Apart the little amount of money they spend on imported goods and / or to the multinationals who produce goods in Ireland, such as booze, ciggies, biscuits, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks, toiletries, kitchen stuff, cereals, cleaning products, seasonal items, fruit, veg, meats, etc etc.

Dudess · 20-01-2010 12:54AM

Is any other town/city in Ireland being swallowed up by a sea of Subway, like Cork?

Linku · 20-01-2010 12:54AM

starbelgrade wrote: »

Apart the little amount of money they spend on imported goods and / or to the multinationals who produce goods in Ireland, such as booze, ciggies, biscuits, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks, toiletries, kitchen stuff, cereals, cleaning products, seasonal items, fruit, veg, meats, etc etc.

I was clearly talking about what they take in over the till - lots of those products aren't even available from Ireland or from 100% Irish companies, so it's the same no matter where you shop...

starbelgrade · 20-01-2010 12:56AM

Linku wrote: »

I was clearly talking about what they take in over the till - lots of those products aren't even available from Ireland or from 100% Irish companies, so it's the same no matter where you shop...

Well it's a lot easier to buy Irish products if you don't shop in these franchises.

Tchaikovsky · 20-01-2010 12:56AM

By the wa, I've never, ever, ever seen an Irish person working in these shops in Dublin.
Seriously, wouldn't it make more sense to hire local people rather than predominanly non-EU people (it seems it's mostly Pakistanis and Indians these days)?
Something fishy.

Spar, Centra, Mace, Londis etc

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