Goodbye to Habitat
Habitat went out of business in Ireland yesterday afternoon. “Slow sales and high costs” were blamed for the store’s collapse. I’d say slow delivery and high prices are the more likely explanation, frankly. While I’ve bought my fair share of Habitat tat, I really used to hate the way they’d make you wait months for delivery of even small pieces of furniture and make you pay through the nose for stuff while almost identical furniture and lamps and cutsey candles and the like were selling in Ikeas everywhere else in the world for a quarter of the price. Even though I hadn’t bought anything there in ages, I reckon I’ll still miss it now that it’s gone.
I’m so glad Habitat is gone. There is only so long that a shop can make money from selling gift vouchers to people who cant think of what to buy for their friends, only for thei friends to go to Habitat with their voucher to discover there is nothing they want there.
Comment by Daithi | May 10, 2008 at 12:37 pmSome of their stuff was kinda nice but on the whole it’s a joke of a place - total rip-off and, as you say, similar stuff is available elsewhere at a fraction of the cost. A lot of their furniture is Argos quality, is flatpack like Argos, but costs five times as much. Many display items were damaged, etc., which doesn’t say much for the effort they go to when selling. However, the building is really nice and they did a good job on it so I hope a decent new tenant is found.
BTW sick of everyone spinning this as another sign of the downturn/housing problems. It’s Habitat’s problem. Interesting also that it seems like a last-minute liquidation, rather than an orderly, HQ-organised, wind-down. Something more going on that we are being told I imagine.
Comment by Bolg | May 10, 2008 at 6:27 pmBolg - I agree 100%. I’m pretty sure that before Habitat closed I never heard it described as some class of bell-weather shop that mirrored the country’s economc peaks and troughs.
Comment by Conor | May 10, 2008 at 6:48 pmI am sure that the only contributing factor in Habitat’s demise was the opening of IKEA in Belfast. Habitat is owned by IKEA. The sell a lot of the same stuff. Except in Habitat, it is sold at a premium. Long gone are the days since Habitat sold anything vaguely Sir Terence Conran-ish.
Comment by laura | May 10, 2008 at 7:44 pmI have a theory that it may be _both_ a reduction in new house sales _and_ IKEA.
Here goes: a few years ago, when people bought an apartment or house, they might have gone to Habitat to fit out a load of furniture (at least, if they were pretty well-off!).
Now that IKEA Belfast is open, however, it would make a hell of a lot more sense to drive up there and fill up a carload there instead, for a quarter of the price.
Those would be big-money sales for Habitat, if that really _was_ what was happening.
(PS Conor, how’s about a post about the much more important event — Diageo still brewing Guinness in D8!
Comment by Justin | May 10, 2008 at 8:29 pmIncompetent delivery, incompetent management - says it all really.
Comment by Des | May 10, 2008 at 11:39 pmWhat happens to gift vouchers that haven’t been used yet?
Comment by Susan | May 11, 2008 at 10:23 amI also have unused gift vouchers for Habitat. Will I be able to use them in another Habitat store in the UK or online?
Comment by Catherine | May 11, 2008 at 1:45 pmThat was my first thought as well. Their website (www.habitat.ie) this morning is showing that you can mail CustomerEnquiries.Ireland@habitat.co.uk , so best to start there ?
Comment by dave | May 12, 2008 at 7:41 amHi guys. I’ve emailed Habitat in Ireland and UK to ask what people with vouchers are supposed to do. I also have a query in with the National Consumer Agency and mentioned it on the Ray Darcy show this morning. But, I’m off on me holidays tomorrow so no sure how much more I’ll know by this evening.
Comment by Conor | May 12, 2008 at 10:12 amI have similar issue. We received a gift card three weeks ago - but haven’t had a chance to redeem it yet. Phoned the National Consumer Agency and they said to contact the liquiditor of the company. I would have thought that individual customers would be far down the end of the food chain for that type of approach, behind suppliers, etc. If you read the disclaimer on the back of the gift card it states that it can only be redeemed in the Republic of Ireland and cannot be used in Habitat stores in Northern Ireland or the UK. Given the card is supposed to be valid for two years, I think customers have a legitimate expectation that the stores will not close without warning before the gift card can be redeemed.
Comment by Kevin | May 12, 2008 at 11:18 amKevin - I have been onto the NCA myself and am awaiting a response. This is something I think they should take up on behalf of affected consumers.
Comment by Conor | May 12, 2008 at 11:22 amre Habitat — are people who paid for goods (and therefore had a specific sale contract with Habitat) in the same boat as those with vouchers, or have we any additional rights/protection? We were waiting on a load of shelving due last week. Guess we may just have to drive up to Ikea now, after all.
Comment by Mary | May 12, 2008 at 1:44 pmMary I’m not sure what the status of people who have placed and paid for orders is. All the company will say on that matter is the following: “Any customer with an outstanding order will be formally notified in due course.”
Comment by Conor | May 12, 2008 at 2:05 pmwell i want to clear one thing is that we the staff knew nothing and treated badly so any customer who think we kept it from them then they are wrong. And at the end of the day we are unemployed and have bills to pay….
Comment by habitat employee | May 12, 2008 at 5:23 pmps we galway staff are lovely:)