Shoppers in Waterford enjoying the return of retail.
Thousands of retailers have reopened their doors to customers across the country after almost five months of closure.
Ireland took another step towards normality as all non-essential retail was allowed to resume on Monday.
Click-and-collect services and shopping by appointment resumed last week as part of a phased reopening of retail, but stores have not been allowed to open their doors to all customers since before New Year’s Eve.
The very best of luck to all those opening their doors for the first time in a long time today. Lets stay safe & keep them open. Remember to try #Shoplocal if you can
T
HE NEW trade frontier between Northern Ireland and the British mainland was intended as a conflict-prevention measure, allowing Great Britain to leave the European Union’s single market without reimposing a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic to the south. So far, not so good.
Listen to this story
Enjoy more audio and podcasts oniOSorAndroid.
Unionist politicians, angered by disruption to shopping and trade with Great Britain, now call for the protocol that imposed a new Britain-Northern Ireland border to be scrapped. In Protestant areas of County Antrim youths rioted last month, egged on by loyalist paramilitaries. Last week Northern Ireland’s first minister, Arlene Foster, was forced to resign by her party, having reluctantly accepted the protocol as the least bad solution.
Retailers worry about challenges ahead despite Covid-19 reopening plan
Reporter: );
);
Retail Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the retail sector, thas welcomed clarity that the sector will reopen fully on Monday, May 17, with click and collect resuming a week earlier, on Monday, May 10.
The group said retail businesses were looking forward to reopening and staying open, and would be reviewing and updating their public health protocols to ensure a safe experience for customers and staff.
Retail Ireland Director Arnold Dillon said: “Today has been a long time coming. The last few months have been incredibly stressful for retail businesses and their staff. We now have a clear roadmap and can plan ahead with confidence. It is crucial that consumers support those businesses that have been badly hit by Covid restrictions. Unfortunately, some businesses will not reopen, many more will be relying on strong summer sales to ensure a viable business into the future.
Business Editor
Retailers have expressed deep concern at Government plans to introduce minimum unit price (MUP) rules for alcohol before similar measures are put in place in Northern Ireland.
Retail Ireland has warned that such a move, without alignment with the North, is likely to lead to a surge in cross-border shopping, with people travelling into Northern Ireland to seek lower prices.
The result of this, the organisation predicts, will be a major loss of sales of not only alcohol but other goods to businesses in the Republic. If consumers travel to Northern Ireland to shop, they will inevitably spend money in a wide range of retail and hospitality outlets, not just in grocery and off-trade, said Retail Ireland director, Arnold Dillon.