'We opened the week the country shut down’ best sums up the journey the new Archers store on the Newport Road in Castlebar has undertaken in a little over two years, according to Seamus Hastings from Archers.
Having acquired the long-established fuel and agri business previously run by Tom and Kathleen Sweeney in 2015, Archers of Ballina have developed the site to cater for an 8,000sq ft purpose-built premises complete with trade counter, paint department and an adjoining poly-tunnel garden centre.
The development of a modern home and garden retail store provides a first-class shopping experience for their customers. Previous investment in new warehousing and yard resurfacing has provided the platform to store and service their ever growing range of building materials.
Seamus said: "We had a lot of challenges to keep trading from the site while the new store was built. We had to temporarily set up our shop in one of the warehouses for almost a year for the duration of the build. We were very lucky to work so closely with Paul from Duane Builders, Castlebar who ensured things went as smoothly and efficiently as possible."
The resulting premises is bright and airy and retains the feel of a hardware/agri store. The trade counter and relevant category ranges, coupled with seasonal displays of outdoor furniture and a well-stocked garden centre provide an endearing home and garden feel.
At the back corner of the store, large colour walls featuring the top paint brands capture the eye. "Paint is a large part of our business," said Seamus, "and we know the key to giving our customers a good experience when they shop in Archers is having knowledgeable and well-trained staff." With a team of 15 on the Castlebar site it means Archers are now giving employment to 80 staff across two branches.
Seamus feels the strong reputation Archers have as one of the longest-trading independent builder’s merchants in Connacht is worth a lot: "There’s no doubt people know the Archers name, and there is a trust in an outfit that has been successfully supplying such a broad range of products to most of north Mayo for so long."
