REPUBLIC’S RETAILERS TO WELCOME INFLUX OF SHOPPERS FROM NI
Six-week lockdown finishes today with towns gearing up for visiting cross-border shoppers
RETAILERS in the Republic have said that Northern Ireland’s shoppers are welcome in their stores from today onwards.
Although non-essential retail will be out of bounds for almost another fortnight north of the border, the Republic has now eased its six-week long Covid-19 restrictions, which had been at their highest level.
With all retail outlets reopening today, border areas such as Dundalk, Monaghan and Letterkenny are gearing up for an influx of Christmas customers from Northern Ireland.
And although not wanting to be seen actively encouraging cross-border travel during the circuit breaker, retail chiefs will, nevertheless, not be turning anyone away so close to Christmas.
The news comes as another 10 Covid-related deaths and 290 new cases were reported In Northern Ireland yesterday, bring the Department of Health’s overall toll — which consists of deaths from any cause within 28 days of a positive test — to 996.
Mayor of Monaghan Seamus Treanor said he is hoping for a surge in shoppers from Northern Ireland, notwithstanding current advice from Stormont, which is that “no unnecessary travel should be undertaken”.
“Northern Ireland shoppers are welcome here,” Mr Treanor told the Belfast Telegraph.
“How can we tell them to stay away when all the airports are open and every Tom, Dick and Harry is flying in from everywhere you can think of?”
Mr Treanor said it would be good for the local economy to see what he described as a “cross border trade role reversal”.
“In the last couple of years the flow of traffic has all been from the south to the north so it would be a godsend to businesses in the town if Northern Ireland shoppers came to Monaghan this year,” he said.
“We’ve got a very close association with Northern Ireland and we’re very much interlinked — some people live in houses with a front door in Fermanagh and a back door in Monaghan.”
With all but essential retail closed in Northern Ireland until December 11, shopping on the high street will be mostly out of the question here, leading to speculation over a soaring appetite for cross-border shopping in the run up to Christmas.
Alan Johnston, chairperson of Monaghan Town Team, which is the equivalent of a Chamber of Commerce, said it will be open to business for everyone between now and Christmas.
“Monaghan retailers welcome all customers but ask everyone to adhere to applicable public health guidelines at all times,” Mr Johnston said.
“Monaghan Town will have free car parking daily from noon on December 7, while retailers will have extended opening hours and there will also be a farmers’ market on Fridays.”
Gerry Crawford, boss of Letterkenny Retail Park, which has all of its 32 shops reopening today, said he is expecting a brisk trade, including customers from the other side of the border.
“Every single Northern Irish shopper is welcome to Letterkenny,” he told this newspaper.
“I’m expecting it to be very busy and we would love to see shoppers from across the border.
“The more the merrier. Everyone is in it to win it. Both sides of the border have had a very tough year. Everyone is looking to catch up, and make up some of their losses.”
Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce CEO Toni Forrester told the BBC’S Sunday Politics programme that they are not targeting Northern Ireland’s shoppers when it comes to advertising.
“We aren’t running campaigns in Northern Ireland to attract people in to shop,” she said. “We’re keeping our advertising very much local.”
President of Dundalk Chamber of Commerce Sean Farrell, who is also the manager of The Marshes shopping centre, said he expects to lose two thirds of the usual quota of Northern Irish shoppers when the shops reopen.
“I’m sure our northern customers will respect the travel restrictions in place,” he said.
“When retail was open in Northern Ireland and closed in the south there wasn’t a massive influx of southern based customers going to the north.”
He is worried about losing Northern Ireland shoppers.
“Between 10 and 15% of our customers are coming from across the border,” he said. “I expect that to fall to two or 3% this week.”
He added: “I won’t be telling Northern Ireland shoppers to stay away. Northern Ireland was open for retail when we were closed. Now we’re reopening and Northern Ireland is closed. The approach is all wrong.
“It should be an island of Ireland approach and both governments should work together so as not to encourage people to cross the border and further the spread of Covid-19.”