Retail’s key weekend

Though a lot — if not the majority — of the Christmas shopping campaign is over, this is a vital, year-defining weekend for Irish retailers and those manufacturers and food producers who depend on the holiday market.

And, as sure as January diet follows December excess, the tens of thousands of jobs in those sectors depend on a successful few weeks in the run up to Christmas.

Retail Excellence Ireland, an umbrella group for retailers, has described this as the “most crucial weekend ever” in their history, suggesting that a good number of businesses are in a do-or-die situation and that a busy Christmas is essential to their survival.

Like so many traditional businesses, local retailers are suffering a double whammy — the absence of consumer confidence or buying power and the alternative attractions of online buying.

And, like so many other services, we won’t miss them until they are gone. To paraphrase an American film title, this is the weekend to Support Your Local Retailer.