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Updated at 7pm
LANDMARK DUBLIN DEPARTMENT store Boyers is to close early next year, it was confirmed this evening.
Unions say they have agreed to negotiations with owners Fitzwilliam Finance Partners on the orderly wind down of the company.
It’s due to close for good in January of next year.
Around 85 workers are employed by the North Earl Street business, either directly or working for concession holders.
“The closure of the store is devastating news for the workforce,” Mandate official Jonathan Hogan said.
“However, we welcome the commitment from the employer to sit down with the workers’ unions to negotiate not only adequate redundancy terms but also, where possible, the redeployment of staff.
“We intend to commence these negotiations as soon as possible with the aim of securing terms agreeable for both directly employed staff and those union members working for concession holders prior to the agreed closure date of the business on 31st January, 2016.”
The development comes just months after nearby Clerys closed down – although the manner of the closure is markedly different.
While staff at Clerys were given only minimal notice and the landmark store closed immediately, Boyers will open as normal tomorrow morning – and negotiations with workers will take place.
Boyers is part of the Arnotts Group, which was taken over by Fitzwilliam Finance Partners earlier this year.
“Over a period of time, Fitzwilliam Finance Partners has engaged with a number of potential operators to manage and trade both Arnotts and Boyers Department Stores,” a statement from FFP said this evening.
“As no potential operator has expressed an interest in trading the Boyers Department Store, Fitzwilliam Finance Partners has been left with no option but to announce the closure of Boyers in a managed and orderly fashion on 31st January, 2016.”
“The long notice period is designed to facilitate appropriate consultations with staff, along with suppliers and concessions holders.
“Following its closure, the company will seek to sell the property”.
Meetings with suppliers and concessions are set to take place in the coming days.
According to the company:
“To facilitate the payment of agreed redundancy terms to impacted staff, a separate bank account will be established in the joint names of Fitzwilliam Finance Partners and Mandate Trade Union into which funds sufficient to cover all claims for redundancy can and will be met.
“This account will be ring fenced exclusively for that purpose.”
Today’s announcement will have “no impact” on the operations of Arnotts department store, the company says.
“The decision to close Boyers early next year is very regrettable but unfortunately, was unavoidable,” Noel Smyth, Managing Director of Fitzwilliam Finance Partners, said.
“We are absolutely committed to dealing with this development in a sensitive and respectful manner for all those concerned.”
A massive blow
SIPTU’s Ethel Buckley said the decision was “a massive blow” to the store’s loyal workforce.
She added:
“However, the acceptance by the owner of the business, Noel Smyth, that the Boyers direct employees, workers for concession holders and contractors must be treated with respect is in stark contrast to the treatment of the Clerys workers.
“The coming weeks of negotiations will be difficult but we intend to ensure that an adequate agreement which suitably rewards the years of service of the Boyers workforce is agreed.
“Unions are always willing to work with employers in good faith even in unfortunate circumstances such as this.”
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Not a big shock to be honest, struggling for years. No doubt a discount/ Dealz type store will be in there in no time.
I think all their clients are dead anyway
North Earl Street is a very poor mans Grafton Street. Even the buskers are of inferior quality, usually some guy with a curly moustache playing The Shadows on guitar – really badly and really loud. Still, I’ll miss Boyers for that awful granny restaurant and its rice puddings lol
cock
Always got good value on menswear there, with good labels. I’ve absolutely no reason to go near oconnell St area for shopping when free parking at one of the many out of town centres offer the same shops as Henry St. Shame. O’Connell St is done, nail that coffin up!!
Same story will keep appearing on feeds until town and city councils stop with this pay and display parking BB > Sadly people on county councils aren’t the sharpest .
Quick buck trumps long-term strategic planning. Always.
Dave, but if there was no pay-and-display then you’d have employees and others just parking up all day and there’d be no spaces for casual shoppers.
Enforce a two or three hour limit.
Was never a problem before fozz
SF’s fault?
@justin, car ownership is up, along with commuting distances and public transport getting worse. Hence, workers are more likely to use up the parking spaces than years ago
first two hours should be free .
Not forgetting the extortionate rates and rents Dave
The fact that the owners are listed as “Fitzwilliam Finance Partners” speaks volumes. However, in fairness, at least they have announced the closure in good time and are endeavouring to be fair to the workforce, which is commendable.
Should no finance or property company ever be trusted again, just because the one who bought Clerys is atrocious?
According to Enda and Joan, this is what a recovery looks like. Roll on the election.
Hardly the governments fault..
But some people just love any excuse to blame the Government for everything and brighten up their dull lives at the same time !!
No this is what debt looks like.
High rates and a lack of spare cash in consumers pockets is the governments fault. Retail spending is on its arse when car sales are excluded.
Are the fact that no one knew it was still open?
High rates are not the fault of central government. This type of store, like clerys, went our of fashion 2 decades ago. Nothing to do with spare cash, rather changing fashions.
it’s an awful shop….admit it… been behind the times now for perhaps 20 years. it was inevitable and the government have nothing to do with this. senior ppl who saw which way the wind was blowing and adapted the store to suit new trends were sadly completely absent.
Boyer’s was in trouble during the boom so not something caused by the crash. An out dated store relying on its old customer base that wasn’t staying alive or buying much. Place the blame correctly on the management.
Elsewhere stores revamp and attract newer customers. The crash put Arnott’s in trouble as they gambled on expansion while neglecting Boyers.
A complete revamp with increased police needs to happen for the area.
Unfashionable people need to buy clothes too.
No this is what debt looks like:
“THE UNION REPRESENTING some of the workers at Dublin’s landmark Arnotts store says that it is concerned about the future of 1,200 jobs at the store and another Dublin store, Boyers.
Mandate says that it has worries about the sale of the debt of the company, which has been held by IBRC and Ulster Bank since 2010.”
http://www.thejournal.ie/union-expresses-fears-over-arnotts-jobs-1180772-Nov2013/
Jesus the nostalgia on the year anniversary of mum leaving us! She used to say we’ll just pop in here for a look – Christ part of my soul died every time she said that – an hour later and a few boxers and maybe trousers /socks or towels later I was released from the hell !!
That’s a shame, I won’t have the opportunity to never shop there anymore
Yea I’d agree, the place had as much life in it as some of its clientele. Just because something is a landmark, doesn’t mean it’s worth save. That entire street and surrounding ones need to be revamped completely
As a Dubliner with roots in the centre city, I’m very sad to hear of the closure of Boyers. It was the Dubliner’s version of Arnott’s in Henry Street. The same goods more or less, but sold by people who were clearly of the same stock as us. No Dubliner ever needed to feel uncomfortable in Boyers. Country people went to Clery’s – and I miss that – but Boyers had a special place in Dubliners’ hearts. Cities change, but for me Dublin won’t be the same without Boyers and the people from whom I bought shirts, trousers and jackets over 50 years. Thank you all and good luck.
I’ve only ever been in once or twice, but it was in bits. Very old fashioned and seemingly uncared for. Thankfully they’ve decided to wind it down in a proper manner
Where am I going to get my Y Fronts now. only place you could try before you buy.
You wear them back to front Gavin from the sound of you. Saves blowing a hole in them.
I was hoping they might find a boyer for it, but clearly not.
I remember being dragged in there as a kid.
it bored the shite out of me
Another relic of Dublin city shopping laid to rest… .
I think every Dubliner can remember being in there at one point in their life, probably had not changed much since most middle aged people were kids being brought in there by there parents back in the 1980′s…
As usual, expect john bruton to be pulling jobs figures out of his backside in the next day or two, telling us he’s created a gizillion jobs in the last month!
John Bruton is not a member of the government. And jobs are being created daily. Jobs were also lost during the ‘boom’ too, believe it or not.
Too hard to get into city centre. More stores will close and Fine Gael have cancelled dart underground so more job losses. Let’s kill the city centre off all together. No plazas, no squares, no city living, no happy vibrant European city.
Where will I go for coffee in a child-free environment when I venture to D1?
Somewhat behind the times but found an occasional bargain. Will be missed.
Landmark store?
Never been in it. Barely remember walking past it a few times on the way to/from Connolly Stn.
If you hadn’t said so in the article, I wouldn’t have known where it was.
There is, believe it or not, a native Dublin population that know it very well. Unlike Cleary’s that was a bogger Mecca. Either way people stopped buying in them so they were always going to close
I used to like their no-nonsense cafeteria. You could go in for a scone or a Cadburys Snack wafer and a cup of tea at a reasonable price without having to figure out what a Demi Skimmed Latte Derigura Frappucino was.
Bollix to that,…….where my kids going to go now to get me birthday/Christmas presents.
Damn water protestors!
Because that’s likely to be said again.
Sad two big stores in a few months. In fairness to the Boyers they seem to be trying to treat the staff with dignity. I hope someone can keep boyers open.
The workers will have nothing to worry about. Ged Nash is on the case
It was pretty shite anyway.
I’ve never heard of it. where is it
You can’t miss it. Come out of Clerys by the side exit onto Talbot street next time you’re shopping there and -
oh.
Article says North Earl st, but 5 at 5 article says it’s on Talbot st?
Does anyone know (or care) where it is?
there’s a way in on Talbot st and north earl st, I used to use the loo a bit, and try to woo a lucky lady with a cup of tea in the upstairs cafe every now and again.
Cupid stunt that would be marlborough street not talbot street.
It is not on Talbot Street, which ends before it, and becomes North Earl Street by the time you are at Boyers. The side entrance is on Marlborough Street.
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