Irish retailers are warning that 24-hour shopping over the Christmas period would give large outlets an advantage over independent shops.
It comes after Penneys said it was considering extended its opening hours when stores when reopen on December 1st.
On Lunchtime Live this afternoon, Daithi O’Connor, owner of O’Connor’s World of Wonder toy store said toys should be considered essential in the run-up to Christmas.
“We have particular problems in the toy business obviously because this is our busiest time of year and we are closed for the second-busiest month of the year,” he said.
“You would want to be squeezing a lot of toy retail into 24 days and unlike other non-essential retailers, like fashion or electrical, we don’t have sales in January.
“They don’t apply to the toy business; people obviously don’t want toys once December 25th is over so we really are squeezing sales, unlike any other industry, into 24 days – which I don’t think is responsible really.”
24-hour shopping
He said 24-hour shopping is one thing for a department store like Penneys – but smaller shops will not be able to staff the extra hours.
“What we are really trying to get is some kind of special consideration to open toys a little earlier like they did with hardware and garden centres because they were considered essential – I believe toys should be considered essential,” he said.
He warned that people will buy toys online if they are worried they won’t be able to get what they need for Christmas.
“Unlike groceries or other products, people want to get them in Ireland but people will, if they are under pressure, go online to Amazon and people like that abroad and buy products in the UK,” he said.
“Then there will be less for Irish retailers when it does come to December.”
"Huge surge"
Meanwhile, David from the Supervalu store in Killarney said shops are facing up to a "Christmas unlike any we’ve known" this year.
“We would be very conscious that, when the restrictions are lifted, there is going to be a huge surge of people into the retail economy trying to get things done in a very short space of time,” he said.
“That is going to put the pressure on retailers out there in terms of managing staff and managing opening times and stock levels.
“So, I would be of the thinking of lifting restrictions a bit earlier for retail because as we have seen and from our own experience, there has been very, very little attributed from COVID-19 to retail sectors.
“So I don’t see any great deal of negativity in terms of opening up earlier once people adhere to the guidelines that are in place in terms of face coverings, sanitising and social distancing – I think it would be a good idea for the retail sector.”
Customer safety
Mark Healy from the Nook & Cranny gift shop and pantry café in Portlaoise said 24-hour shopping would not be possible for small retailers.
“We have three staff members at the moment so there are only so many hours you can ask people to work,” he said.
“For the month of December, most independent retail owners probably work seven days a week, 12 hours a day, every day, so there is only so much they can do.”
He said he would “love to see” retail restrictions lifted early but “only if it is the right thing to do.”
“We have the business side and I have two family members in the medical profession so I am also very aware of the pressure they are under,” he said.
“So, I would be cautious about advancing it too quickly and I would rather make sure everybody is safe when we do reopen.”
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