Still no click and collect
WITH THE GOVERNMENT’S LATEST ANNOUNCEMENT CONFIRMING ALL NON ESSENTIAL RETAIL WILL REMAIN CLOSED, CIARA GALVIN SPEAKS TO THOSE IMPACTED
WHEN the then Tao is each Leo Varadkar stood on the steps of the White House in March 2020 and announced Ireland’ s first lock down, the Fine Ga el leader expected it to last for six weeks, or at a maximum of a few months. Over one year on, and with non essential retail told last week they will not open for at least another month, businesses across Sligo are feeling the pressure.
With Sligo still remaining to be one of the counties with the fewest number of cases and fatalities from Covid-19, having recently recorded zero cases, or cases below five, many are of the view that the Government should look at a more regional approach to opening up the economy.
However, with Micheál Martin’s address to the nation outlining some sort of roadmap for reopening not including the opening of non essential retail outlets, and more importantly not making a provision to re introduce click and collect services, it is once again a hammer blow for businesses around the county.
Click and deliver will continue to be permitted, the Government has outlined and says it will consider the “phased return of non-essential retail commencing with click and collect and outdoor retail, for example: garden centres/ nurseries, after May 4.
So, what does it mean for businesses now. For Deirdre Reilly, opening her business, The Hobby Shop on O’Connell St has been “a real struggle”.
“So far we have been closed for longer than we’ve been open.”
And, although receiving supports from Government to invest in the online side of the business, for a website, that is in effect useless for local customers with the continued ban on click and collect.
“Last year, with the encouragement of the government, we invested in a website with a click and collect facility to accommodate socially distant shopping, so it’s really disappointing now that we can’t offer this service to local people,” Ms Reilly tells The Sligo Champion.
Thankfully for Cordner’s Shoe Shop on Grattan St its online presence has meant that they can continue to trade online, providing click and deliver services, but, manager Linda Foley says there is still massive disappointment regarding no reopening, or click and collect services.
“We are a well established business online and we’re up and running a good while. If it was only a small website we’d be relying on local business but we’re nationwide.
We had click and collect before, it was handier, it is easier to collect. And buying things online, with shoes, unless you have a standard foot you have to try on three or four pairs,” Ms Foley explains.
Although grateful that the business can still survive online, she says online purchasing is not ideal for many people.
“They’re [customers] buying a few pairs then they have to send it back by post, shoes are bulky and it can be awkward.”
Speaking about the issue of children’s shoes not having been deemed as ‘essential items’ by Government over the last year while in lockdown, Ms Foley agrees this has been very difficult for parents of small children, and especially first time parents.
“The thing is with kids, in January we thought it was for a couple of weeks, nobody was out and about, but especially with babies ready to walk and potter about in the house, kids have growth spurts they need shoes. They need to get out with the weather being better.”
The shop manager says it is so important for children to get fitted properly for their shoes.
“You can wear a small top, etc, but if a child wears small shoes or ill fitting shoes it effects development.”
Before the government announcement to make provisions for children’s shoes to be able to be fitted and sold, by appointment, Ms Foley says her staff were inundated with parents trying their best to measure their children for shoes.
“We have a limited amount of staff in the shop anyway to facilitate social distancing and we have a girl here fully trained in the kids’ department. She gives advice on the phone, you can buy kids’ measuring gauges, measure a child’s foot and then see and buy online with that size.”
However, Ms Foley says, even with this advice and with best intentions, it is best for children to be fitted professionally for shoes.
“You have to be able to feel foot and know what you’re doing. It’s hard to guide over the phone when you can’t see the foot, it’s very difficult, we’re doing our best. On phone people are pulling their hair out.”
Speaking of how the last number of months have been for the business, Ms Foley admits it has been testing.
“New Year’s Eve was the last day we closed and we’ve been closed since. The website has been up and running, and we’re getting spring summer [stock] up as fast as we can and answer queries and posts on Facebook,” says Linda, but explains that for some people it is just not the same as visiting the bricks and mortar shop.
“You can wear a pair of jeans that mightn’t fit right but shoes will cut you.”
The staff and management of Cordners and sister shop Strollers thought at the beginning of the year they would be back open maybe for Valentine’s weekend, which soon they put out as far as St Patrick’s Day.
“I don’t know how long it’s going to be, I understand there’s the new variant and people’s
TO ME IT SEEMS CLICK AND COLLECT IS ABOUT MOVEMENT, BUT IT’S THE SAME MOVEMENT IF PEOPLE QUEUE FOR ATAKEAWAYOR COFFEE INDOORS.
safety is more important.”
When asked if it was frustrating that they remain closed, despite Sligo having very low cases, Ms Foley says it is.
“Sligo has been quite good, the whole time, it would be great to be more lenient, or to even get click and collect, but I can understand they can’t do a bit here and a bit there.
We’d be delighted to even do click and collect. We’re closed longer than we’re open and it’s very difficult,” she adds.
Next door, Con Durkin of Addam Menswear says the current climate is the biggest challenge of the business’ history.
The business is open 50 years since late last month, having taken out its first advertisement with this paper for the opening on March 25 th, 1971.
“We’ve gone through 3 recessions but we were trading throughout. We’re online ten years, but we found it so hard to trade online, every men’s shop is online right now, and you’re trading against a lot of suppliers and UK sites are strong in Ireland,” Mr Durkin explains, adding that many UK companies use ‘.ie’ websites
The manager and buyer says one of the most important things for the business is servicing the community, and without click and collect, a lot of that is not possible.
“We do home delivery and sometimes I think people would prefer to pick it up and bring it back the next day.”
Giving an example where click and collect is needed, Mr Durkin says he has had incidences where people have contacted the shop about suits for a funeral.
“I’m not able to let them take two and try on. You can buy certain things but some are time sensitive, its very unfair.”
Durkin believes some of the measures simply do not make sense.
“If you can go in and buy a cup of coffee I can’t see why you can’t pick up a bag.”
To date the store has invested thousands in PPE and training
“When you’re talking about small retail you’re not talking about Tesco and Penney’s, the numbers are limited to 6 in the shop...To not be able to hand out something through a glass door, to me it makes no sense.”
He adds, “To me, it seems click and collect is about movement [of people], but it’s the same movement if people queue for a takeaway, or coffee indoors, all we’re asking, if we had 15 pick ups a day that’d be max.”
Mr Durkin also believes it is unfair that counties like Sligo are not being rewarded for low case numbers.
“Sligo was one of first in the country to close early, all of us closed a week before we were asked to.”
- CON DURKIN OF ADDAM MENSWEAR