Consumerism killed the corner store
KFC, Zara, Harvey Nicks, Vodafone, HMV, Spar, Argos, Debenhams, Virgin, Curry's. Line them up side-by-side and you could be in any city in the UK and Ireland (Dublin and Cork at least). Ian Lumley of An Taisce calls it "Clone Town".
A group of MPs in Westminster recently predicted that corner stores will be non-existent in 10 years time. The blame can be directed at the dominance of the four big supermarket chains. Last year, I was taken aback when I read that £1 in every £7 spent in the UK is dropped into a Tesco till.
Luckily, most areas in Dublin still have a corner store. But for how long? Beside every shop that sells everything from firelighters to fancies hovers a Centra or a Spar that sells insipid lunch rolls and cheap wine. Shops like Tesco buy from suppliers for at least 11 or 12% less due to their sheer purchasing power. It's an unfair die that is cast for the sole trader every day when he opens his doors.
I had the privilege of living beside a very charming corner store in Irishtown where service was always delivered with a joke or some idle chat. After paying for some items recently in a highstreet store, the shop assistant pushed the bag towards me without speaking and continued texting.
Sadly, the new shopping centre in Dundrum has been officially called the 'town centre'. This is a gloomy indictment of the all-consuming attitude of Irish phlebeians who can only feel sated if they come back home with at least three bags every Saturday. It's tragic and it will all end in tears.
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Maybe it's just me. Maybe I could get a slot on the next edition of Gay Byrne's "Grumpy Old Men" and tell Uncle Gaybo how much I'd like to knock that smarmy, irritating smile off his face. Being 27 probably disqualifies me from the show. But I would like to box Byrne squarely in the jaw, regardless.
Published by Colm.
A group of MPs in Westminster recently predicted that corner stores will be non-existent in 10 years time. The blame can be directed at the dominance of the four big supermarket chains. Last year, I was taken aback when I read that £1 in every £7 spent in the UK is dropped into a Tesco till.
Luckily, most areas in Dublin still have a corner store. But for how long? Beside every shop that sells everything from firelighters to fancies hovers a Centra or a Spar that sells insipid lunch rolls and cheap wine. Shops like Tesco buy from suppliers for at least 11 or 12% less due to their sheer purchasing power. It's an unfair die that is cast for the sole trader every day when he opens his doors.
I had the privilege of living beside a very charming corner store in Irishtown where service was always delivered with a joke or some idle chat. After paying for some items recently in a highstreet store, the shop assistant pushed the bag towards me without speaking and continued texting.
Sadly, the new shopping centre in Dundrum has been officially called the 'town centre'. This is a gloomy indictment of the all-consuming attitude of Irish phlebeians who can only feel sated if they come back home with at least three bags every Saturday. It's tragic and it will all end in tears.
***
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I could get a slot on the next edition of Gay Byrne's "Grumpy Old Men" and tell Uncle Gaybo how much I'd like to knock that smarmy, irritating smile off his face. Being 27 probably disqualifies me from the show. But I would like to box Byrne squarely in the jaw, regardless.
Published by Colm.
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