Tills will ring late into night to avoid large crowds gathering

THE average household is set to spend around €700 in shops this month on Christmas, with tills set to ring well into the night from tomorrow.

Some stores will open early in the morning until late at night in a bid to spread shopping days out longer during the pandemic.

It is hoped that this will help avoid large crowds gathering, with Christmas shopping high on the agenda for many families over the coming weeks.

Despite the nation’s obsession with online shopping, it’s expected that many consumers will be keen to engage in the real shopping experience this month.

However, retail experts predict the capital’s streets will see two-thirds fewer shoppers on the ground this Christmas due to the pandemic.

Arnold Dillon, Retail Ireland director, said: “We expect the average household to spend €700 on Christmas this year – over what a household would spend in a normal month.”

Penneys stores in Dundrum and Blanchardstown will open from 7am tomorrow and trade until 10pm on Wednesday.

Brown Thomas and Arnotts will open from 10am from tomorrow until 9pm, while Dunnes will open from 8am until 7pm from tomorrow.

Mr Dillon said: “Public health is the priority and retailers are taking extra steps to ensure a safe Christmas for customers.

“Many stores are looking at extending opening hours so that trade can be spread more evenly across the day.

“The run-up to Christmas is make or break for many retailers.

“Many are relying on the period to make up for the major financial hit taken earlier in the year.

“While significant Government supports are welcome, more is needed to help retailers manage commercial rent liabilities that continue to accrue during lockdown.”

There will also be extended opening hours in Lidl from 7am daily until 10pm from December 22, and Aldi will open its doors from 9am until 10pm from December 16.

Richard Guiney, CEO of retail group Dublin Town, said: “We anticipate that footfall will be roughly two thirds of previous years.

“The fact that hospitality is allowed to open from next Friday will help encourage more evening shopping.

“It won’t be as busy as a usual Christmas, but it will hopefully be busier than it has been so far this year.”

The group also released a statement on Twitter, asking shoppers to support jobs in the city this Christmas by getting out to buy presents.

“Reopening the city in December and the return of customers is vital to all businesses and the thousands of jobs hard hit these past months,” the statement said.

“We need your opinion to best prepare for a safe, controlled reopening of the city centre.”

The group are gathering opinions online of how people feel about shopping in the city this festive season and what could add to the experience.