Retailers scrambling to prepare for earlier reopening
SHOPPING as we knew it – ambling through rails of clothing, caressing materials and trying on armfuls of items for size – is over.
Retailers across Ireland have broadly welcomed yesterday’s announcement allowing the accelerated reopening of shops on Monday.
Shopping centres, which had faced another two months of lockdown, are now cleared to open on June 15.
However, being back in business is not as clear-cut as just rolling up the shutters.
Many retailers, small and large, have been left reeling after weeks of uncertainty.
Anthony Ryan, the owner of several major retail outlets in Galway city, described their recent experience as “a bit of a rollercoaster ride”.
“A shop of our size, we were expecting to open only parts of it next Wednesday. We had different entrances and cordoned-off areas, and we moved departments around.
“We put a lot of work into it and brought back a few employees this week to get our store ready for Plan A.
“Now, we have to redo it all for Plan B, which will see us opening about 80pc of our space next week.”
Lorraine Kirrane, the owner of La Belle Femme, an exclusive lingerie shop that also specialises in mastectomy prosthesis fitting, in Claremorris, Co Mayo, is surprised at the speed of the reopening.
“I’m not ready to open on Monday. I can’t. I haven’t got screens up or PPE or hand sanitisers yet,” she said.
“As far as I was concerned, I was aiming toward the 29th (of June) and now I have to start frantically ringing people to get everything in place.
“The other thing is we measure for prosthesis, and we have to get very close to our customers, some of whom are immunosuppressed.
“So I don’t know how practical it is for us to open up before we get proper guidelines.
“If we measure somebody we can’t stay two metres away.”
Retail Ireland director Arnold Dillon said customers had already adapted and were supportive of the new rules.
“The reopening will be done in a way that safeguards public health, while also protecting jobs and businesses.”