Around 100 local shops close every year in Ireland, the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association has estimated. 

Although some have been at the heart of many communities for generations, an average of two a week are closing their doors. 

On Newstalk Breakfast, Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association CEO Vincent Jennings said there are many reasons why a shop will shut its doors for good. 

“Post-COIVD, there has been a noticeable increase in closures,” he said. 

“It’s not for any one particular reason; there’s rising costs, there’s reduced sales and there’s crime.” 

Mr Jennings added that when an owner retires or passes away, they  often find that the property they operate in is “worth more than the business”. 

“But every time that it closes, it is a nail in the coffin - particularly in rural Ireland where people have become reliant on the product,” he said. 

“Yet at the same time, the sales are down - newspaper sales are down.” 

Despite this, Mr Jennings added that he still believes there is “always going to be room for local shops”. 

“But we need less regulation and a lot more support for people who are trying to do their best for the community,” he said.

Main image: A woman looking at a closed shop's door. Picture by: Alamy.com.