Retail Excellence Ireland says it’s a setback for shops that ‘click and collect’ is being banned under the new Covid 19 restrictions.
The measure was among a number of new restrictions signed off on by Cabinet, in a bid to curb soaring Covid-19 numbers.
Representative body Retail Excellence said the move would have a “disproportionately negative” effect on smaller retailers.
“Non-essential retailers closed their doors on New Year’s Eve and have fully complied with what has been asked of them by the Government,” Duncan Graham, Managing Director of Retail Excellence said.
“It is clear that the country is facing an enormous challenge and of course we acknowledge that the Government must act to halt the spread of Covid-19, but there is little public health risk in allowing customers collect goods from non-essential retailers who remain shuttered because of the lockdown,” he added.
“We feel this move, however well-intentioned to restrict people’s movement, will have a disproportionately negative effect on smaller retailers.”
'Makes Sense'
Tramore retailer Catherine Keighery had already moved to Click and Collect for her Christmas sale. She told WLR News that it was one of the best decisions she had made during the pandemic:
"I made the decision before Christmas I wasn't going to open the physical shop for the sale. I just had a bit of a bad feeling bad about it, so I made the call to move the whole sale online and to be honest it was one of the best decisions i've made in my life. We would have been closed after three days anyway."
Catherine went to the expense of installing a counter and plexiglass screen to facilitate click and collect safely. The boutique owner said she was initially surprised at the government's decision but on reflection feels it is the right thing to do:
"It's less people out and about. I still don't know if I can do deliveries or whether it has to be An Post or DPD, I still have to figure that out but at least it's one person out delivering it's not loads of people out to collect parcels so it does make sense."
Stay home, stay safe and thank you to all the front line workers x pic.twitter.com/3fbajk3R6j
— Redlane.ie (@RedlaneBoutique) January 6, 2021
Meanwhile, Duncan Graham from Retail Excellence has called for the Government to further support retailers in terms of rents and fixed costs.
“We need to move now to substantial discussions,” he said.
“Many of our members will have been closed for almost half a year by the time we get to the anniversary of the pandemic in March, and they need help urgently if they are to reopen when this emergency passes.”
