It’s fantastic! Positivity as shops open their doors
MORE hope and positivity was abound on the streets of Sligo this week as many “non-essential” retail stores opened their doors again.
Several of these premises had not welcomed customers since before Christmas and while the sense of optimism about a return of retail on a large scale was palpable, common sense ultimately prevailed as customers took a cautious approach and social distancing into consideration, with reasonable numbers inside and outside various stores.
Liber bookstore was among the business on O’Connell Street to welcome customers back.
The shop had spent the last number of months operating from behind closed doors as shop director Brian Caliendo explained.
“The last few months was just online orders with some local deliveries. It definitely kept us going and in people’s minds which led to a lot of great local support.”
On opening his doors again, he said: “It is just fantastic to be back and the customers are delighted. It has been reasonably busy – not quite back to normal yet but it’s great to have people back in here again.”
Liber bookstore is spacious, but like any premises, not without its restrictions to allow for the adherence of health guidelines.
Brian said customers planning on shopping with them again will be returning to the store as it was before it closed, with emphasis placed on ensuring they have a well-ventilated premises.
“It is the same as last time. We have the hand sanitisers, we are limiting the number of customers to a maximum of 10 at any one time. We have a CO2 metre behind the counter we keep an eye on, but this time of year that isn’t as much of an issue as we are usually able to leave the doors open anyway and let plenty of air get through the place to create a nice atmosphere for everyone.”
As for the potential for any more enforced closures as a result of lockdown, Brian is optimistic about how things move forward from here.
“We are hopefully finally over the worst of it now and we can just keep going from here towards getting back to some sort of normality.” Meanwhile, on Grattan Street, the Style Emporium also welcomed customers back this week.
Dympna Mannion has been in business at the premises for more than 40 years and prides her work on ensuring everyone leaves her store with an item picked with thorough consideration. On re-opening, she said: “I am delighted to just talk with customers again, to see the streets busy and see doors open again.”
“Today has been especially busy. I think people are just happy to talk to other people outside of their family or neighbours. It brings a bit of normality back into our lives and let us do the little things that we all enjoy.” Dympna’s business is one that continues to operate in the face of the growth of online shopping.
Her shop welcomes plenty of customer who not only prefer the personal approach, but also the conversation and social outlet which only a physical shop can.
She said: “They are delighted to be able feel the clothes and buy them again beause it is a different experience to online shopping. They like to try things on, get advice and that is how I have always done business. I enjoy doing my job right, people trust me and that is a huge plus for physical selling as opposed to online.”
Last year, touching and trying on clothes was not allowed under health guidance at the time.
Knowing more about the virus months later, Dympna confirmed the advice has changed to allow the trying on of clothes again. “It is hard to sell something without it being tried on first and not touching clothes was a total misnomer. We got in touch with Dr Luke O’Neill and it was confirmed that the virus isn’t on clothes. People can touch and try on the clothes again. ”
While Liber and the Style Emporium are well established stores, the Hobby Shop was a business still finding its feet when it was forced to close. Deirdre Reilly and Audrey
Kavanagh oversee the shop which opened on December 1, before closing again on December 31.
“As a new business it was very difficult as we were only starting to establish ourselves,” Deirdre said. “We invested a lot in setting up the shop and a click and collect website so it was disappointing to have to close again so quickly so we kept plugging away with the website and digital marketing.” Deirdre said they have been delighted with the change in the mood within the town since businesses started re-opening again.
“Over the last week there has been a renewed buzz about the streets and you can see there is optimism in people about the future again,” she said. “It will be a slow burn in terms of people getting out there again to the level it used to be at.”
Audrey said: “People are tentative – they’re doing things bit by bit.” Audrey went on to point out that the pandemic has brought out the creative
side in many local people and it is evident that they are pursuing art and craft for the foreseeable future as a hobby.
“Over the lockdown people took up more creative pastimes.
“People came in asking for advice on what they have taken up. They are skills that they are developing because if you enjoy it, you won’t just do it because of lockdown, it is something you do during your spare time.” Deirdre and Audrey are confident that the bump in the road after their first month in operation will not be repeated and they can now look towards firmly becoming a fixture on O’Connell Street.
“I would be surprised if we had another lockdown.
“Everyone is a bit more hopeful and confident now with the vaccine rollout and there is no reason people can’t shop safely for as long as restrictions are in place and I think now we are at the stage where we live with it.”