TheCity

Tag: Retailer

  • Fears for jobs in Tallaght as retail sales decline 

    Fears for jobs in Tallaght as retail sales decline 

    Cuts to staff hours and lower sales reflect the reality of the retail market in the Square Tallaght, Dublin, post-festive season. 

    By Samuel Adeleke 

    image emphasises the quietness of shops
    As the shops become quieter, the staff find ways to stay busy. Photo credit: Samuel Adeleke

    Business owners in the retail sector in Dublin are experiencing a decline in sales after the holiday season during the January and February slump, when trading activity slows to its lowest. 

    While statistics often focus on the economic impact of this period on business owners and the economy at large, TheCity spoke to retail staff, who are often the first to feel the effects. 

    Tasha Villisca, a full-time staff member at the Vero Moda clothing brand in the Square, Tallaght, who loves working in retail, described the period as being extremely quiet and slow.  

    “When I am here now, I feel like my day gets dragged, unlike during the peak period, where there is always something to do and people to help,” she said. 

    This situation has hit Tasha’s finances, despite putting in the work. “I got my pay-slip last week, and it is literally not making up for the work I put in here,” she said.   

    “I blame it on not getting enough work hours and people shopping online,” she said.  

    Keris Fonory works as a retail staff member with Naming it (a children’s clothing brand).  “Due to the slump in business, the management had to cut down people’s hours; you can only work contracted hours,” said Fonory.  

    “I work with other girls who are in college, and they are struggling financially because they have fewer hours,” she said.  

    One worker from India, who did not wish to be named, said they were let go from their job in Pandora due to the slowdown in business. He has since managed to pick up with A&B Gadgets, “It is not only a bad time for retail businesses but also a bad time for part-time workers,” he said. “This affects me personally, as the hours I can work are reduced,” he said. From his experience, the retail market has become a “click and collect” model, where people just come in to pick up orders, thereby making the retail staff’s role obsolete. 

    Libby Deleon, a manager at Jack & Jones said, “In the next 5 years, I doubt if there will be any more jobs in retail shops because businesses have fallen into a full decline and people are buying stuff more online.” 

    Deleon also mentioned that with the slowdown in the retail business, a lot of small shops in this period lay off their staff, but at Jack and Jones, she said, “We try to make a system where we still try to make things work. Some are great, some are not.” 

    As a way to drive sales during the slowdown, some businesses resort to running sales. “We have reduction sales going on because we are looking to clear the whole winter stocks and build up for the summer stocks,” Steven Abergele, manager of Best at the Square Tallaght, said. 

    Speaking on the impact of this season on other staff, Steven said, “We only employ part-time staff, so it doesn’t affect us really much; but it does affect bigger brands.” 

    January and February mark the transition into the spring and summer season, and this can impact sales in outdoor gear. Gerald, manager at Trespass, a performance outdoor clothing brand, said that they are a weather-dependent shop. 

    Gerald mentioned that in the post-festive season, there is a slowdown in businesses because people are more careful with their money, and it affects everything, including staffing. “It’s like Irish people forget it’s going to rain and it’s going to be cold, so they come in and buy stuff,” he said. 

    There is hope that businesses will pick up in the summer period leading to the Easter season, and there will be more opportunities for staff to work more hours and earn more in the retail sector. 

  • ‘It is the charities job to ensure that they get good value for them’: Why Charity Retailers have priced-up its clothing items 

    By Renee Melia

    Today Charity retailers consider themselves high street retailers as the standards of the shops have improved to attract buyers looking for a pocket-friendly second-hand piece of clothing and more. Chairperson of Charity Retail Ireland, Mark Sweeney explains the reasons behind the increases and confronts misconceptions surrounding charity retail.  

    A common misconception about charity retailers is that it doesn’t pay rent or have the same overhead costs as other high street retailers, according to Mark Sweeney, Chairperson of Charity Retail Ireland, a representative body for charities that operate retail spaces for its charity on the island of Ireland.  

    “Most charity shops will have a paid manager and/or deputy manage.  With the nature of volunteering, not as many people are interested in volunteering as once used to be. We do have to put in staff to ensure that the shops are run correctly,” he said.  

    “We’re in a period where charity shops are trading very well, and that goes across the island,” Sweeney said.  

    Photo: Renee Melia

    In 2022, clothing sales accounted for the biggest proportion of sales at 66% or 7.2 million garments sold according to Charity Retail impact report. The report stated clothing sales are expected to increase due a move to a more circular approach to fashion-giving clothes and materials a extended life. 

    62,230 tonnes of carbon equivalent emissions were avoided through its members shops in 2022, stated the report.    

    In 2023, almost half of Irish consumers report that they are either extremely (19%) or very concerned (26%) about their personal financial situation. Over three-quarters said that they changed their non-essential spending. 15% have stopped non-essential spending altogether according to PwC report Irish Consumer Insights Survey.  

    Many Irish consumers are willing to pay a higher-than-average price for sustainable product types, despite Irish consumers not feeling confident in their financial situation at 77%.  

    In an article by The Irish Times buyers of clothing in charity retail said they noticed the price increases within the stores. 

    “We are there to raise money. And that’s why our pricing is reflective of that,” Sweeney said 

    Staff at St Vincent De Paul and Oxfam have said that items are priced according to the material that it is made from and the brand. And within Oxfam the charity retail is open to negotiate prices with customers. 

    “All charity shops sell really good value clothing. There are items in a charity shop, from trousers to jackets, to jumpers that are priced at a low price, that are affordable to all.  When a charity shop is donated a good piece of clothing, a high-end piece of clothing and designer piece of clothing, or a good high street piece of clothing. It is the charities job to ensure that they get the value for them. 

    “Because somebody that donates to a charity or given something from their wardrobe in hopes that whatever they they’ve donated will raise funds for that charity. And the charities have an obligation to ensure that we price that correctly and we do price things correctly,” said Sweeney.  

    Another misconception Sweeney points out about charity retail is, “that they’re mostly old, smelly, dusty and disorganised. They’re not.” He continues to add that nowadays someone shopping in a charity retail today will find “a much more organised and commercially viable retailer”.   

    “There are over 500 charity shops on the island of Ireland, and we have been one of the biggest preserves of sustainability and circular fashion without even knowing it.  And my ask of people is to go back to our roots. Repair your clothing. Reuse your clothing. Recycle your clothes and give them a second life,” concluded Sweeney.