City centre shop closures may now total 80

Date Published: 03-May-2012

BY FRANK FARRAGHER

THE closure of two more city centre shops over recent weeks – Madison and Carl Scarpa – reflects the ongoing tough economic challenge faced by the retail sector during the current recession, it was claimed this week.

Madison, a high quality boutique in Abbeygate Street Upper, and Carl Scarpa, a seller of top quality Italian ladies footwear in High Street, have ceased to trade over recent weeks.

The closure added to a growing number of city centre retail outlets that have ‘closed shop’ over recent years – some unofficial surveys suggest that there are over 80 unoccupied retail outlets in the greater city centre area.

Galway Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive, Michael Coyle, told the Galway City Tribune, that while he couldn’t comment on any specific closures, these were extremely challenging times for all involved in the retail business.

“We’re now into the fourth year of what I would call difficult trading and the big problem here is a lack of confidence among consumers with people opting to reduce debt and pay off bills rather than spending.

“Even the latest figures on car sales indicates that people are holding onto to their vehicles that year extra or so longer, rather than opting to change,” said Michael Coyle.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.