Big retailers flouting lockdown rules, say smaller firms

Retailers have called for an enforcement crackdown amid reports that many shops are flouting the new lockdown rules. Picture: Brian Lawless

Retailers have called for an enforcement crackdown amid reports that many shops are flouting the new lockdown rules.

Under the Level 5 restrictions which kicked in on Wednesday night, retailers with a mixed retail offering and which have discrete spaces for essential and non-essential retail, should make arrangements for the separation of relevant areas.

However, there were complaints from across the country yesterday that many retailers, including several popular Irish and UK high-street brands, were operating as normal.

Some non-essential retailers were selling small quantities of ‘essential items’ in an effort to justify having their doors open, while some essential retailers, including shops with a grocery section, were continuing to sell items considered as non-essential in the other sections of their shops.

Several sportswear and fashion footwear shops were still open, and large electrical stores, which are permitted to sell essential items such as white goods under level 5 restrictions, were continuing to offer for sale other electronic items, including hair dryers and cameras, which would not be classed as essential items.

There were large queues outside many of these stores in one of Cork's retail parks yesterday.

It was the same in several large suburban shopping centres around the country, where many non-essential shops were operating as normal.

Several small traders, who pulled the shutters down on Wednesday evening ahead of the six-week lockdown, said there has to be a level playing field.

Retail Excellence, the largest retail body in Ireland, said it has been inundated with calls from smaller retailers about the issue

Eoin O'Sullivan, the president of the Cork Business Association, urged people to abide by the spirit of the regulations.

"Everyone needs to buy in to this so that the lockdown works and we can all get back to business as soon as is possible," he said.

Retail Excellence, the largest retail body in Ireland, said it has been inundated with calls from smaller retailers about the issue and that there appeared to be a significant difference between the way large retailers are responding to the current lockdown compared to their response to the original lockdown in March.

“Our concern is that large retailers are abusing the fact that they are allowed remain open by selling non-essential as well as essential items,” its CEO Duncan Graham said.

“This rubs salt into the wounds of smaller retailers who are forced to close but who see larger competitors take advantage of their closure.” 

He called on the Government to ensure that those retailers who are permitted to remain open during the current lockdown restrict their sales activities to essential items only.

He also called on large retailers to respect the spirit of the lockdown.

“We need this lockdown to work so that we can all open for business in December but if large retailers spend the coming weeks seeking ways to work around the regulations, the lockdown won’t work and they and all of us will suffer as a result,” he said.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said he was aware of a sports outlet attempting to sell PPE so as to justify remaining open to sell other items.

In a tweet, the Tánaiste said he knows it’s a difficult time for many businesses but he urged everyone to stick to the spirit of the new guidelines to make them work.

“Essential retailers need to be fair to non-essential retailers,” he said.