O'Briens Wines Fascinating New Store

O'Briens Wines opened a new store yesterday. It's Fascinating. Why? Well, for one it's positioned so that it's the  first, and only store, you can see as you drive in to do your shopping at Superquinn

Have a look at the following photo and tell me what's amazing about it .... Ok. I'll give you a big hint. The door to the right is Superquinn's Head Office. The window above O'Briens door may even belong to Superquinn's Wine Buyer!!

Oh, how times can change. Not too long ago Superquinn not only owned the Shopping Centre at Lucan but it's wine store was rated as one of the finest in the country. No one would have dared to open right on top of it. 

O'Briens have been making a habit of catching footfall from supermarkets recently. Their new outlet at the Tesco Monread Centre in Naas is often used as a corridor by Tesco's customers who want to take a short cut back to the car park! Nothing wrong with that as long as you catch a few along the way.

What I find Fascinating in all of this is the signage in O'Briens window. It really must gall Superquinn, and in turn their new owners Musgraves, that the supermarket has had to sign up to a Voluntary Code of Practice in relation to selling alcohol that prohibits them from window signs advertising alcohol products or prices. O'Brien's is not a mixed grocer and is under no such compulsion! It's a crazy world out there. (Superquinn is doing it's bit to fight back. Today it displayed a giant banner at the entrance to the Shopping Centre proudly telling everyone that it was voted Best Supermarket Wine Store 2011. Eh. ok......)

And there's me thinking the government had things under control. Sure, if the supermarkets are forced to build stand alone wine stores and off licences won't we see a lot more windows of this nature than ever before?

Mind you it is an elegant looking window. Compare with Dunnes Stores in DunLaoghaire which is also a stand alone store. Perhaps Roisin Shortall might have another look as to what her aims really are before she goes banning booze from the aisles. All her current plan will do is to lead to a high street battle for our attention. Besides with O'Briens matching like for like with the supers we wouldn't want to interfere with honest competition now, would we?

O'Briens very impressive new store at Superquinn Shopping Centre. Love it.