Can Towns Like Portlaoise Survive Without Chain Brands?
Chain brands have become anchors of the modern high street, offering convenience, consistency, and in many cases, jobs. But it does beg the question: Can towns like Portlaoise thrive without them?
This isn't just a practical debate; it's an emotional one too. For some, chain brands symbolise economic stability and consumer choice. For others, they represent a hollowing out of local identity, turning once distinctive towns into copy-paste versions of each other.
What Chains Offer
There's no denying the benefits of national and international brands. They:
Attract footfall by offering something familiar.
Provide entry-level and part-time employment.
Create a sense of reliability as people know what they're getting.
For many shoppers, especially in smaller towns, these names provide reassurance. A Costa coffee will taste the same in Portlaoise as it does in Dublin or Cork.
The Cost of Consistency
But there's a flip side. When chain after chain fills a main street, what makes one town different from the next?
If Portlaoise looks and feels like every other Irish town, why would anyone travel here for leisure, culture, or discovery?
Independent cafés, family-owned shops, local producers are the businesses that give a place its soul. Unfortunately, they're often the first to go under when rents rise to meet the expectations set by chain tenants.
Survival Without Chains
Can Portlaoise survive or even thrive without chain brands? Possibly, but it would take a radical shift in mindset. Here's what that could look like:
Prioritising Independents: Councils could offer incentives for small businesses to set up and stay in prime locations
Destination Thinking: Instead of competing with chains, towns could position themselves as unique destinations rooted in culture, food, and local experience.
Community Buy-In: Shoppers would need to consciously choose local, even if it sometimes costs a little more.
A Contentious Reality
The truth is messy. Chain brands aren't going anywhere and nor should they necessarily. They play a role. They provide stability, attract visitors, and support employment, but they can also overshadow local character. If chains dominate, the high street risks becoming soulless. If locals are nurtured, the town builds resilience and identity.
The seaside town of Southwold in the UK making headlines for banning fast food chains shows us one thing: survival isn't just about economics, it's about storytelling. And Portlaoise needs to think about what makes them unique and how that story is shaped.