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Roches Stores was a national chain of
department stores in the
Republic of Ireland acquired by Debenhams in 2006.
Founded in
Cork (city) in 1901 by William Roche, as a small furniture shop, it grew to eleven stores throughout Ireland. As Debenhams it sells a wide range of goods, from cosmetics to
houseware to
clothes and stationery. It was for many years the only true department store chain in the country. Unlike its competitors, Roches Stores generally sold more
brand items, particularly clothing. This lent it a more upmarket image than its competitors such as
Dunnes Stores.
Roches Stores caused huge controversy in the 1970s and early 1980s when it demolished
Frescati House in Blackrock, the home of
Lord Edward FitzGerald.
Up until the acquisition, the Roche family retained full ownership of the stores. A noticeably private family, they maintained a low profile in Ireland in contrast to Ben Dunne.
Withdrawal from food retailing
Formerly most of Roches Stores larger locations also had a supermarket on-site. In 1998 these stores became franchises of SuperValu (Ireland), branded as "SuperValu at Roches Stores". However in 2005 most of Roches Stores supermarkets were closed down, the four remaining being operated as concessions - two (in Cork) by Caulfield/McCarthy, another SuperValu franchisee, and two (in
Blackrock and Galway) by
Marks and Spencer.
Acquisition by Debenhams plc
In July 2006, Irish newspapers reported that Roches Stores was in discussion with the British department store chain,
Debenhams plc, with regard to a possible sale of the business. On August 8 2006, it was announced that Roches Stores' retailling business would be acquired by Debenhams for €29 m
Debenhams Plc acquire retail business of Roches Stores, August 8, 2006. As part of the deal Debenhams acquired the retail business of 9 of the 11 Roches Stores operations - including stores at
St. Patrick's Street in Cork, Henry Street in Dublin, Blackrock, Waterford, Tralee and O'Connell Street, Limerick, Limerick - of retailing space. Marks and Spencer plc had agreed to acquire the company's Wilton outlet in Cork, however that deal later fell through due to a dispute over rent with the owners of the centre. As a result both the Wilton store as well as the Nutgrove store (in Dublin) closed, along with the company's head office. As part of the deal, the Roche-family retained ownership of the group's property assets (the stores) and lease the premises back to Debenhams as their new tenant. The stores were rebranded as Debenhams, a move which will see the Roches Stores name disappear from the Irish high street in 2007, and which is causing a sadness of sorts among Irish consumers especially those in Cork.
In October 2006, Roches Stores placed adverts in the national newspapers advertising their latest sale as their "Closing Down Sale", beginning the process of transitioning to the Debenhams brand. Sections of stores were replaced with Debenhams stock, fittings, signage and designers such as John Rocha and
Jasper Conran. The Limerick store is now rebranded Debenhams, as are some other stores such as
Blanchardstown and Tallaght.
The
St. Patrick's Street store in
Cork (city) was rebranded as Debenhams on
30 January, 2007. But the Roches Stores name will remain visible on the outside of the St. Patrick's Street store, the original Roches Stores branch, as it is sculpted on the wall over the large arch window over the front entrance. Many Corkonian consumers are pleased with this, and a large number of them still refer to the store as Roches Stores rather than Debenhams. However, it was a different story in Limerick where a Mosaic on the ground outside the Main Door was removed. This was to the annoyance of the Limerick People as they felt it would be the last known memory of 'Roches' and a keepsake for years to come.
In March 2007, Debenhams reported that all but two of the stores had been rebranded, and launched a major marketing campaign under the Debenhams name.
External links
References