Last week's riots in Dublin City have had a drastic impact on shop sales this Black Friday, according to the CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland.
Jean McCabe told The Anton Savage Show this morning that retailers in areas where rioting occurred were down 90% on last year's returns.
Last Thursday, November 24th, riots broke out in Dublin after a knife attack on Parnell Square left three school children and their teacher in hospital.
The following day was Black Friday, one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
Ms McCabe said many shops didn't get the same rush of customers they normally expect each year
“Retailers were down 90% on [Black] Friday, following the riots, and down 40% on the Saturday,” she said.
“Black Friday is a huge day for retailers, so as you can imagine there is a lot of ground to make up for now.
“The retailers were really hurt by that [rioting].”
Return to Normal
In the days that followed, footfall began to improve in the city.
“It bounced back a little bit and now we’re about 30% behind on last year overall,” said Ms McCabe.
“People are getting out and about now again and supporting these businesses and their employees who felt very vulnerable last Thursday and Friday.”
The Retail Excellence Ireland CEO called for even more support from the public.
“The message today is, get out there and go shopping,” said Ms McCabe.
“Go to Henry Street, go into the Ilac, go to Arnott’s, support that Asics store that got destroyed.
“There’s also a great Toymaster there and it’s all about getting out and supporting these people by coming into the city.”
Ms McCabe adds that she’s unsure whether the loss of Black Friday earnings can be regained at this point.
Online Shopping
One threat posed to the retail industry is the rise of online shopping.
However, Ms McCabe said “bricks and mortar” stores are continuing to hold their own.
“Stores are still a huge part of people’s shopping habits,” she said.
“They [consumers] might do the research online and compare prices first, but if they can get into a store, they will.
“Of course, the convenience of online [shopping] is ideal for some customers, but it’s the experience of being in stores in the city that is the pinnacle of shopping.”
She added that retail stores in Ireland are “keeping our communities alive” in terms of providing jobs.
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