People are getting off their couch and heading for the shops during the crucial Christmas shopping season.
That is according to Duncan Graham from Retail Excellence Ireland, who said people have 'missed' retail therapy.
He told Newstalk Breakfast there has been a change.
"The last two years has just been very much online - but we've missed the shops," he said.
"We've missed that bit of retail therapy and I think we're getting that back very much so this Christmas.
"I think we saw it during Black Friday weekend, certainly footfall was up and reports of 20% increases in some of the shopping centres over that weekend."
'We've got choice now'
He said people are more aware of their choices.
"Of course we've got choice now - on a day like today we can wrap up warm in front of the fire and do our online shopping.
"Equally, we can go into the shops and I think people are coming in [and] they're spending - not so much as they would have spent this time last year."
Mr Graham said local businesses may have got a boost from previous COVID-19 restrictions.
"During the pandemic, where we could only go five kilometres from where we lived, we discovered those retailers that were offering a fabulous service during COVID and we've stuck with them, to a degree.
"The reality is that everytime we shop with a foreign retailer online... 60% of that money goes out of the country.
"We know that if we shop local and we champion green that every euro we spend with a local retailer there's something like €2.50 that goes back in."
Shopping trends
He said shoppers are being kind in more ways than one.
"We're being kind to our pocket, we're being kind to the planet - I think we're seeing people shopping more sustainably, people shopping for recycled products, people shopping for things that haven't travelled across the world to get to you.
"Also we're being kind to ourselves - we'll see people spending money on that spa retreat, or we'll see people spending money on the fragrances, or the things that make us feel good.
"Certainly we've found that spending on yourself and being good to yourself was a theme during COVID, and I think that's continued on," he added.
