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THE MIDLANDS WAS among the regions worst hit by the effects of the economic downturn… And — like similarly sized towns all over Ireland — Athlone endured a raft of business closures in the years following the property and banking crash of 2008.
CSO statistics for that year showed Co Westmeath was hardest hit nationally by the decline in sales taxes, with the amount of VAT dropping by almost 20 per cent compared to the previous year.
More recently published figures — on Live Register numbers and insolvencies — show the economic indicators heading the right way once again.
But how are businesses in Athlone feeling about the future — less than two weeks’ away from the Budget?
[TheJournal.ie]
TheJournal.ie went for a walk through the centre of Athlone this week to see how businesses are faring now…
According to one retail manager’s entirely unscientific “bag count” method, a fragile recovery in the town is now beginning to gain momentum.
But another, long-established businessman worried that the new water charges would suck money out of consumers’ pockets, and warned of further tough times ahead.
The Men’s Draper…
[TheJournal.ie]
Bretts on Sean Costello Street has been in business for the last 73 years.
Billy Brett hasn’t been involved quite that long… But he has been manning the register at the store for the last half-century — and says that, no, there’s not all that much to be optimistic about at the moment.
The problem is your overheads haven’t come down. We’re still being charged the same pre-recession rates.
[TheJournal.ie]
“It doesn’t make sense… People are trying to tell you the country’s picking up… I certainly hear that it’s picking up in Dublin alright but then again you have the population there.
The last recession was nothing like this in that there was still money being circulated. There’s nothing being circulated now at all.
In terms of measures that could help small business owners, “it’s a matter of leaving money in people’s pockets” Billy says…
They will work us out of recession.
The Health Store
[TheJournal.ie]
Una Reynolds helps her daughter run the Au Naturel store on Payne’s Lane in the centre of Athlone.
The shop celebrated a decade on the go in March of this year — so they’ve been through the bad times and the good in the last ten years.
We did hit rock bottom… But we struggled on. We took in less money, less take-home pay for ourselves, cut down on staff… But things have picked up
An established base of older customers helped sustain the business through the tough times, Una explains.
There would be retired people that the recession didn’t affect that much. But the younger people coming in, maybe looking for things for children heading back to school – they couldn’t afford it.
That trend’s now beginning to reverse itself, Una says… Business during the back-to-school period this year was back up on a par with the pre-downturn years.
We did as good as we did in the good times… Well, near enough.
The Cake Decorator
[TheJournal.ie]
Fraser O’Reilly runs the ‘Decobake‘ opposite Golden Island Shopping Centre.
The cake decoration and party supplies shop is one of five outlets around the country, with sister stores in Clane, Dublin, Galway in Limerick.
They set up business in Athlone three years ago. And while Fraser says it has been “very hard” for retailers in the last few years, the nature of Decobake’s business means its well-placed to thrive in a time when families are watching their pennies.
It has been very up and down in the last month. But that would probably be a normal state of affairs with people going back to school… People don’t really have the money anymore around that time.
That said…
A lot of people, because of the recession — when they’re doing their weekly shopping and there’s going to be a birthday, instead of buying a cake from a supermarket, mums – and a lot of dads – they come in and they say ‘I think I’m going to try and make a cake’… That’s where we come in.
[TheJournal.ie]
Around the corner from Fraser, Muhammad Islam is dealing with a steady stream of customers and broken hard-drives from behind the counter at B-Tech C0mputers. The store – one of four around the country – has been in business since August of last year, and so far everything’s been going to plan at the John Broderick Street outlet.
“Word of mouth” is all-important when people are trusting you with their laptops and devices, according to Muhammad.
People have too many options. They can go to Argos to buy a laptop — so why do they need to come here? The reason to come here is that it’s a local shop and if something happens they can bring it back and we fix it ourselves — that’s what people really like.
The Alterations Service
[TheJournal.ie]
Finally, just a few doors down from Muhammad, store manager Leila Lynch reports that September has been a “great month” for the Zipyard alterations service in Athlone.
We’re only open here a year. We’re open since last June, so we’ve very positive feedback since we’ve opened.
There are over 20 Zipyard ’boutique alterations’ stores north and south of the border, and – like the cake decorators around the corner – Leila says their business is also somewhat insulated from the effects of the recession.
People are more inclined to look in their wardrobes now… A coat, for example — coming into winter now you’re talking €200 for a nice coat. We have so many alterations for coats now at the minute because it’s way cheaper to get them altered or restyled than to go out and spend more money unnecessarily.
Away from the Zipyard, Leila has been working in retail in the town for the last 12 years. And while things were “very frightening” for people in the years immediately following the crash, the situation is now steadily improving, she says.
You can see it building, and you can see more people on the street.
“When you’re in business you always look at how many people are carrying bags. You don’t look at how many people are in the shopping centre…
It tells you who’s buying and who’s just walking around window shopping.
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I walk about, I see the empty shops which once housed businesses. You are not fooling me. Until I see every unit in my local shopping centre occupied and doing business you can stick your ridiculous natter about “recovery ” up your arse.
Ps Fg boys, red thumbing my comments doesn’t make them untrue :-D
Things change and your local shopping centre is shit. Why go to a crappy shopping centre from the 80s when it’s cheaper and easier to order online.
Just because you are so old that change becomes something you fear doesn’t mean everyone is. But sure you stick to your anecdotes and I’ll stick to CSO figures.
I mean without being harsh to the local draper going by the photos they are hardly competitive.
Ok, David, just for fun, you who are talking up “the economy ” morning noon and night. If all the shops which we like, and which provide us with goods and services, close down tomorrow, what happens to all the people who were employed and the landlords of the premises, smartarse? Will all of them go to work in some huge warehouse, you dope? Afraid of change, you insulting little squit, we older people welcome change and recognize improvement when it IS improvement. So what’s your answer? We all shop online and never leave the house? oh brave new world.
Proving my point that you are terrified of change.
We don’t get to choose the change that happens so don’t get angry at me for pointing it out. That draper is not competitive and when people have a choice they choose not too go there.
You can wail and nash teeth for some past world you loved or deal with the fact things have changed. People shop in supermarkets because they are better than grocers. They buy clothes in Dunnes and Penney’s and Top shop because they are cheaper and better.
Trunk club will send you clothes picked out for you, keep what you like and return the rest for free. Things change old man.
Respect for our elders has changed too,young man .
Maybe the cities will thrive as that’s where the most footfall is ,but in towns across the countryside,well that’s a different kettle of fish . Big shops opening up on the outskirts of the town and then the local councils, (when they were local) bringing in new parking charges ..
The Specials said it best of all when they sang those immortal words ” This town is coming like a ghost town” .
The elders that promised themselves enormous pension but declined to pay for them? The elders who fight tooth and nail for medical cards for themselves despite being the richest demographic in the country while children have a poverty rate 5 times higher?
Notice how the more modern looking shops in a more modern sector (health shop, computers etc) are seeing a pickup while the dull looking shop which hasn’t changed isn’t? People are happy to spend money in small shops which fill a niche.
But no shop is entitled to custom when there are better options available. Things change.
Sheik I agree, one of my local, once fairly thriving shopping centres (Dunlaoghaire, Co Dublin), is like a flipping shanty town, and the nearest one in Blackrock is not much better and that’s supposed to be in a reasonably well off area…recovery my butt!
Joan, I am a native of Blackrock who crossed the Liffey more than thirty years ago, for love. They can say what they like, the people on the ground have eyes, and won’t be told they’re imagining things.
Dundrum S.C killed the business in those areas. It’s a lot busier in Dublin these days for sure.
That must be some love sheik. Moved out to Pyongyang for love myself a few years ago, but I dunno if I could survive Phibsboro.
I may be a shrivelled oul ‘ yoke now, but was once a luvva :-D ps it’s Whitehall, is that better or worse? :-)
I’d say better than Phibsboro, but it’s still no Pyongyang!
Reagan gave the world trickle down economics. Ireland is innovating the “trickle west” variety.
And not even a whisper of the large protest in Athlone yesterday? hmmmm……
There was a protest here in the big smoke to. Haven’t a clue over what. Poor attendance for sure.
Town centres are dying because of parking charges and distance from where car is parked to location of shop. 20 years ago if you wanted to buy a TV, you bought it I the town centre, now you can’t park outside the TC shop and if you did you get a ticket while loading it, so guess what happens TC dies and out of town free parking grows. Councils need to stop charging for short term TC parking, they need to bring life back to TC by encouraging farmers markets and providing entertainment of some type.
Parking charges plus online shopping. Why go to a shop when you can get it cheaper online.
Isint it amazing a how a few people are tricked into beleving that the County is doing great. Enda and joan sure make a sweet couple of liars. Lots of closed Shops and industrial units tell a different Story. Most towns are nothing but Euro Shops and charity stores.
If every retailer in Athlone said the recovery was starting to trickle down the journal readers would still not agree….they love a good moan.
Yeah, Ronan, thanks for that :-(
Well Muhammad in BTech computers is an absolute conman. Charged me €55 to fix my iPod. Got it back wasn’t fixed. He said il try it again. Couldn’t fix it, then I asked for my money back, he said well I’m going to charge you €30 for spare parts. I asked what spare parts were they, couldn’t tell me,started stuttering.Only got €40 back and he wanted to keep my iPod aswell haha. Anyone that’s a bit soft will get robbed blind by that place.
Isn’t it amazing how few comments a positive story about the economy gets?
There is a fear of good news here, people in Ireland all too often take comfort in misery.
A lot of them feel it is all they deserve.
Once again we get lies from FG/Lab. The country is NOT recovering, maybe Dublin, Cork, Galway are showing some improvement but look elsewhere, the Midlands are empty of people, small villages and towns have lost too many of their young people.There are no jobs either. check out some of the shopping areas either boarded up or charity shops. Enda Kenny do not insult our intelligence by saying its getting better.It will not improve again until we tell the bondholders to get lost.Thats a fact and no slimey government spin can hide that.
I see a few trolls here trying this best to make a purse out of a sows ear, hiya lads!
Best of luck everybody.
I recently got my screen fixed on my Iphone 4s at a reasonably good price. The staff at B-Tech computers were very friendly and provided a fast and efficient service. id definitely recommend them to my friends. :)
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