Retail Ireland, today welcomed clarity that the sector would reopen fully on Monday 17 May, with click and collect resuming a week earlier, on Monday 10 May.
The Ibec group that represents the retail sector, 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."
Lifeline
The group noted that Government supports have been a lifeline for many businesses, but debt levels have increased significantly, and many rent disputes remain unresolved.
"Unless further measures are taken, more business failures and redundancies are inevitable. Supporting the experience economy and breathing life back into our towns and cities must be a top priority over the coming weeks and months,” Dillon added.
© 2021 Checkout – your source for the latest Irish retail news. Article by Donna Ahern. For more Technology news click here. Click sign up to subscribe to Checkout.
