Retail Excellence Ireland, Ireland’s largest retail industry body, have confirmed that the opening days of the post-Christmas sales were the busiest in six years.
St Stephen’s Day witnessed large numbers of shoppers out in force in the primary shopping centres, cities, and towns across the country. Most retailers who opened reported that sales were up by over 20 per cent.
Commenting on the sales, David Fitzsimons, chief executive of Retail Excellence Ireland, said “[St Stephen’s Day] could not have gone any better with both footfall and spending significantly up on last year. One retailer we spoke to had done 50 per cent of last year’s St Stephen’s Day turnover in the first hour. After a somewhat disappointing December for retail, many businesses were carrying significant amounts of stock into the sales equating to very deep discounts, which a significant cohort of consumers responded to. We have noticed that savvy consumers are willing to postpone fashion, footwear, home, and prestige and luxury brand spending into the sales period.
“The Government’s Home Renovation Incentive Scheme will act as a further stimulus to ‘big ticket’ home spending in the coming days with consumers benefiting from a 13 per cent tax credit on home renovation costs.”
