Shoppers in Cork make last trips before level 5 lockdown

Non-essential retail is to shut from 6pm on Thursday, with many shoppers making last-minute stops to buy and return Christmas presents and to prepare for the weeks ahead

Eilís McSweeney, owner of Lily and Clara boutique in Ballincollig, believes retailers who have built an online presence should survive the lockdown. Picture: Jim Coughlan

Braced for another lockdown, shoppers were making last-minute trips to retail outlets on Wednesday in the hours before the Taoiseach's announcement.

While most said they understood the logic behind another lockdown, they did not hide their disappointment and their worries about the impact it would have on the future of many businesses.