Retailers demand compromise over reopening
Non-essential retail is calling for interim measures, such as click and collect and appointment shopping, to be allowed to recommence in March. Picture: Niall Carson/PA
Non-essential retailers are urging the Government to compromise over their reopening, and allow for minimal services to restart, despite lockdown restrictions unlikely to significantly loosen early next month.
Any faint hope of non-essential shops being able to reopen as part of a potential first wave of eased restrictions on March 5 seems to have been dashed with Taoiseach Micheál Martin saying Covid case numbers are currently too high to allow for a widespread loosening of the lockdown.
The Taoiseach said the Government should have more clarity on its restrictions plan by the middle of this month.
Retail groups were already braced for bad news around the March 5 plans. However, they are holding out for some form of compromise from the Government.
“We’re keen to see non-essential retail open as quickly as possible,” said Retail Excellence chief executive Duncan Graham, “but if it is going to be delayed further then we have to see progress regarding interim measures like restoring click and collect, allowing appointment shopping, and, perhaps, looking to allow larger stores to reopen given that they pose a lower risk for transmission.”
He said the sector also needs to hear more views from the Government over increased support for retailers who have been closed for nearly six of the last 12 months.
“Help on rents is a key priority,” said Mr Graham.
Hopes for a restart for shops rose following comments by Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien about construction sites having a good chance of reopening on March 5.
However, these were overshadowed by Nphet reiterating that case numbers remain too high to allow the large-scale movement of people.
This week’s slight increase in PUP claimant numbers, to 481,331 people, has been interpreted as potential proof that the economic damage from the third lockdown has peaked.
However, the Covid-adjusted unemployment rate is still at 25% and workers in the construction and wholesale/retail sectors account for nearly 30% of PUP claimants.
In a research note published before the Taoiseach’s comments, Davy chief economist Conall MacCoille said that any early reopening could help economic forecasts.
Davy expects the economy to grow by 4.8% this year, with a 3.5% quarter-on-quarter fall likely in the first three months.
On the basis of Mr O’Brien’s comments, Mr MacCoille said relaxed restrictions on certain sectors could see economic activity and employment bounce back sooner than expected. However, he said any reopening plan would be sensitive to Covid infection rates.
As far back as October, industry groups warned ‘lockdown-2’ Covid restrictions were putting 60,000 retail jobs at risk, on top of the 30,000 that had already been lost since the Covid crisis hit last March.
Back then, Retail Excellence argued that all retail should be classed as “essential”.
It has consistently called for click and collect and e-commerce options remaining open and unrestricted to the public.
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