The consortium that bought the Clerys store in Dublin for €29 million is trying to lure Apple to open a flagship retail outlet on the ground floor of the site.
It is understood the Natrium consortium, fronted by D2 Private developer Deirdre Foley, has held numerous discussions with Apple over several months.
…Meanwhile, the Government will on Friday submit a new batch of documents to the European Commission’s investigation into Apple’s tax arrangements in Ireland. The Department of Finance confirmed yesterday that the commisison has requested extra documents.
Natrium sets sights on Apple Store in Clerys building (Irish Times)
Previously: How they killed Clerys
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If they take down the clock just level O’Connell St, there’s little of value left on it once that goes.
McDonalds, Burger King, Querkys, some tacky 3D cinema, Supermacs…….. Horrible street.
Sorry The Savoy is the only surviving thing of beauty on that street.
There’s also a nice post office and a damn good book and stationery shop.
Easons? Are you having a laugh?
Move Chapters into Easons’ place and stick Easons onto that Parnell St kip
yeah I’d prefer this :-)
The only thing about Chapters being where it is – Not a great deal of people go there, so it’s nice and quiet and feels out of time.
I’d be worried about what O’Connell St would do to it’s soul.
The big old hotel at the top of the road is nice.. The Gresham, oh and the ambassador isn’t bad either.
Yeah, I like Toddy’s bar.
No The Ambassador is not nice. There could be a lot more done with it.
Also I’m fairly sure that counts as Parnell St. May as well include the Gate if you’re including the Ambassador.
The loss of Waltons down that end hasn’t helped things either.
stick a big pair of gates on each end and the side streets, and keep the people out, it’s the people who ruin it.
The savoy is a run down kip
I think you will find it is 6 or 7D cinema.
Noisy auto playing video ads BS?
Really?
Apple will never open a flagship retail store on o’connell street. They will take one look at their neighbours and the natives walking around and go back to sunny California.
I’ve actually asked Apple retail in the uk and gotten a response saying that they are focussed on using concession stores and authorised retailers rather than opening their own stores. But even if they are planning to open one, it definitely won’t be o’connell street.
Not while it’s full of burger joints, and with Anne Summers next door.
One of the things Rudi Giuliani did in New York when he zeroed in was to get rid of the casinos and burger joints and lapdance clubs, etc, on what had once been good shopping streets, I’m told.
Correct there Brian. I worked for one of these concession resellers years ago and Apple stated outright to us in 2007 that they had made a decision years previous that they will never open an Apple Store in Ireland, and that the decision came from Infinite Loop itself.
They won’t open a store for tax reasons..having a retail presence here would screw with their sweet 2% deal.
I emailed Phil Schiller after being in a concession area in tesco that was absolutely shambolic. He got the head of uk retail to reply to me, and he said pretty much the same thing, they have absolutely no plans to open a stand alone store, and will instead rely on premium resellers and concessions spots in PC world and tesco.
There is a reducing market for flagship shops on high streets. Most shopping is now online, and the massive bodies in the retail world know that. m2 return for retail area is reducing. Smaller shops are more valuable. In time retail units will just be advertisements for stuff you order online.
Which is great, because it will return high streets to the people (small holders and start ups etc).
A good plan would be to break up the inside of Clerys and develop an urban market. Something like Brixton market.
or the market arcade for that matter.
Something like La Boqueria. Start selling local produce in our local streets.
I wouldn’t O’Connell street a high street, unless you are referring to the junkies that stagger up and down it…..
Apple Meh
Yeah its not going to happen there are 2 apple resellers within a 5minute walk.
Moore Street? There’s more than two. They have bananas as well
open a needle exchange clinic and adult literacy workshops, much more needed.
It’s highly unlikely we’ll ever see an Apple Store anywhere in this country. Just don’t have the footfall. Even the one in Belfast is extremely quiet compared to the crowds most stores get.
Notions
Not sure it could happen but it would be the making of the place if it came to pass.
Will any business take the reputational risk in opening up in Clerys?
I know I won’t support any business that opens there
+1
Why not? If any other business failed, and another business rented out the premises subsequently, would you not shop there, either?
im very fond of a drinking emporium on Cathedral street.
Brannigans?
The tax office :)