Concerns raised over Tesco’s potential impact on Kilkenny business

Labour Party Councillor, Seán Ó hArgáin has expressed concern at the possible impact Tesco’s Kilkenny arrival will have on local small food and other retail businesses. 

Earlier this week, Tesco Ireland revealed its new store on Kilkenny’s High Street will open mid-October and they will begin recruitment to fill 15 customer assistant roles for the store in the coming weeks. 

Meanwhile, the supermarket giant confirmed it intends to submit planning for a new store at the former Mart site, Kilkenny. Subject to planning approval, the scheme will see a modern, sustainable, and accessible store built in Kilkenny City, including new car parking facilities, the provision of Click+Collect services for customers, and include a Grocery Home Shopping hub to serve the wider catchment of County Kilkenny. 

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In partnership with Codd Property Holdings, the proposed development will also include 80 residential units and an assisted care unit, alongside a further 90 car parking spaces. 

Reacting to the news, city based councillor, Seán Ó hArgáin warmly welcomed the inclusion of housing provision in the Tesco planning application but admitted he fears the supermarket’s presence may have consequences for other local traders.

However, despite his reservations, Mr Ó hArgáin hopes Tesco will allow its premises to be fully accessible by the city bus system and provide adequate facilities for bike parking and pedestrian access.

“I am not personally a fan of large supermarkets and I prefer to shop in local butchers, bakeries, greengrocers and other local stores, which are family run. I accept the fact that consumers are demanding these large stores, however and that some shoppers leave Kilkenny to access some of these businesses,” Mr Ó hArgáin commented.

“I believe that all of these stores are too powerful, having a hugely negative impact on prices paid to farmers and other suppliers. It galls me to see delivery trucks bringing milk from outside our region and even our national borders, when our local dairy farmers struggle with increasingly tight margins as a result of the supermarkets price-fixing, in effect,” he added.

“We must redouble our efforts to support local small retail businesses and create an attractive city centre where they can thrive,” Cllr Ó hArgáin concluded.