16.24.4 Convenience Goods Stores and Other Specialised Forms of Retailing
Large convenience goods stores comprising supermarket, superstores and hypermarkets (see Table 2, Appendix 3, Retail Strategy) provide primarily for weekly convenience goods shopping. They should be located in the city centre and district centres or on the edges of these centres and be accessible by public transport. It may not always be possible for this to occur due to site requirements, heritage issues or road constraints and in such instances, the sequential approach should be used to find the most preferable site.
Where a proposal for large convenience goods stores development involves the sale of a significant amount of comparison goods, the planning application drawings should clearly delineate the floor-space to be devoted primarily for the sale of convenience goods. The balance between the convenience and comparison element of the proposed store is a critical element in the assessment of the suitability of the development proposal. Where a significant element of the store is indicated to be for comparison goods, the potential impact of that element of the store on existing comparison goods stores within the catchment must be included in the assessment of the application.
All convenience goods stores, regardless of their type, will also be expected to contribute positively to the existing urban environment and be able to integrate in design terms. The Retail Design Manual 2012 details how this can be achieved.
(The distinction between ‘discount food stores’ and other convenience goods stores which was contained in the 2005
Development Standards: Design, Layout, Mix of Uses and Sustainable Design | Chapter 16
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Retailing Planning Guidelines will no longer apply. In the Guidelines for Planning Authorities, Retail Planning, 2012 such stores are now categorised as belonging to a ‘large convenience goods stores’ category.)
Other specialised forms of retailing:
Factory Shops
Such units, usually located as part of or adjacent to the production facility, should be restricted by way of condition to the sale of products produced by the relevant factory. Proposals for individual factory shops may be appropriate, provided the scale of the shop is appropriate to its location and raises no issues in relation to the vitality and viability of nearby urban centres.
Outlet Centres
Outlet centres consist of groups of stores, particularly designer fashion labels retailing end-of-season or discontinued items at discounted prices, and are typically located in out-of-centre locations (for example ‘Kildare Village’). Due to the specific niche that outlet centres operate within, applicants must demonstrate that the products sold will not be in competition with those currently on sale in the city centre retail core. Applications for the development of outlet centres should be considered having regard to the provisions of the retail strategy and assessed in accordance with the sequential test.
Casual Trading
Casual trading, e.g. Christmas Markets and Farmers’ Markets, is an increasingly popular form of retail and can add vitality and colour to retail centres, especially at festive times of the year. It is regulated by the Casual Trading Act 1995, as amended. www.irishstatutebook.ie