Losing Boyers… what it means to me

Whether it was to meet your family or friends for a spot of afternoon tea and a cake, pick up a few bargains as you were passing through, or just to pop in and say hello to some former colleagues and friends, there was always something for everyone in Boyers.

Considered to be a very personal shopping experience, with a very obliging and friendly team of staff, as noted by many customers time and time again, Boyers has remained in high regard for over five decades within Dublin, and around the country.

With the retail trade constantly evolving, regardless of whether it’s the styles and trends each season, conversion to online shopping, or even just the layout of a store itself, one thing that can never change is the atmosphere and nature of the staff that work in a store.

For over 50 years Boyers has maintained a sense of family and a warm welcoming atmosphere that has never left the building, despite thousands of people passing through the doors every year.

Customers and staff alike have become familiar over the years with the brands, and how it is a very unique shopping experience compared to other department stores around Dublin and across Ireland.

Sadly, on January 31, 2016, Boyers will close its doors for the very last time. Staff were informed of the news during a meeting in September and it was a shock to everybody.

The very same afternoon, newspapers were informed of the news and it made headlines as the second department store to close its doors in less than 12 months on North Earl Street.

Inevitably, this will induce a very negative impact to the retail trade on that side of the city, but it will also affect not just staff who will lose their jobs, but what seems to be an ever-growing number of loyal customers.

Without fail, every day a customer says to at least one member of staff: “It’s terrible the place is closing, what are we going to do now?”

This is the big question for a lot of people, as Boyers is one of the few remaining stores in Dublin that caters for a very niche market, and is next to impossible to find another place which supplies these brands.

Despite being considered “Arnotts’ little brother”, over the last seven years when the economy began to dip, it was a major struggle for businesses everywhere, and Boyers was no exception. There were rumours around that time that the store was to close due to bad trading conditions and lack of profit. Yet, as time went on, things picked up and so did business in Boyers.

Shoppers began to feel more confident spending their money, and as Lorraine Keegan, a member of staff from the accessories department, remarked: “We’ve been holding our own for longer than people think. Everybody knows that Arnotts and Boyers are the same company, but we have proven time and time again that as a separate store, we can produce and it has stood the test of time.”

This is the belief of a lot of people who pass through the doors. Customers are consistently remarking on how well business has been, as regulars coming in several times a week, and cannot understand why the store is closing. Staff have become accustomed to hearing such comments since the news of the closure broke in September.

Of course it is sad to see any business go, but there is solace to take from it all, believe it or not. Hundreds of members of staff have come and gone over the years, and the small number I have had the pleasure of working with are essentially devastated that the store is going. In my experience when they left the store to progress in their careers, not one has ever said a bad word about the shop.

It became very apparent, very quickly, that anybody who has ever worked in Boyers has many fond memories and will always hold a soft spot for the store for as long as they live.

For some members of staff, the closure will mean a new direction in their career, for others it will be their last job, as some will be retiring soon, and it will be with a sense of pride and dignity in the work they have done over the years.

Jacinta O’Donohue, a member of the ladies fashions managerial team, who has worked in Boyers for the last 39 years agreed that it will be very sad to see it go.

“The brands have changed, the staff have changed so many times, the store itself has undergone many changes over the years, but the sense of family and camaraderie hasn’t.

“Boyers has always been a friendly place and you can tell from the minute you walk in the door. We’ve had some characters work here over the years and some also some famous people too.” President Mary McAleese has popped in to buy some clothes, Senator David Norris has enquired about some eccentric suits, Packie Bonner has come in to buy a few things, even Brendan O’Connor was in recently having a poke around. You just never know who’s going to walk through those doors.

When I had approached my colleagues and informed them I would be writing this article, I was told many great stories – some which are too long to include here, and some which wouldn’t be suitable for print.

One recurring theme with the staff was the restaurant. It would be regarded as “world famous” within the four walls of the shop, and many people, not just staff, have a very high opinion of the food available.

It doesn’t matter if you just went in for a cup of tea, a carvery dinner on a Sunday with all the trimmings for €6.99, or just a glass of wine (if that’s takes your fancy), the restaurant catered for everybody. It was always considered very good value for what you got, and the staff are constantly being praised for how good they are at what they do. It will be missed greatly by a lot of people.

On a personal note, it has been a very interesting road working in Boyers. I’m only 25 and I have nearly 10 years experience in retail, most of which is from working in Arnotts and Boyers. It has paid my way through college, allowed me to afford a standard of living I probably won’t be able to maintain after I leave, given me a lot of friends I wouldn’t otherwise have known along the way, some who will definitely be a friend for life in my opinion.

There have been some highs and lows over the years, some more than others, but I would consider it to be almost my second home at this point. Even on my days off I pop in to see people and have a chat, it’s almost as if it’s a magnet and you can’t stay away for too long.

I also think at this point I know everyone in the shop, and if I don’t I will before we leave. I personally consider my colleagues to be a second family and I will be very sad to leave them when the doors close at the end of January.

A few tears will definitely be shed – and not just by me. It has been an absolute pleasure to have worked with such an amazing group of people and you have all done so much for me over the years, more than you or I realise.

I owe an awful lot to Boyers as I’ve pretty much grown up there and there will never be anywhere else like it on the planet. It truly is one in a million.

From the Christmas parties in February (which is definitely the only place in the world to do that), to the very eclectic mix of music, everyone’s little catchphrases they’ve seemed to acquire over the years, customers saying the brand names all wrong, running up and down a million times a day to get everyone change for their till, the two Franks or Sean giving the 10-minute announcement at the end of the day, to all the regulars who pass through and have a chat, nowhere will be as unique, crazy or loved as much as that shop is and forever will be among many.

It’s so strange how a job, or a store has have such an impact on so many people’s lives, but it’s what you make of the time you spend there that counts, and I would like to think everybody will think fondly of the store, years after it closes, as it is a very special place.