Thumbs up from retailers as shoppers make a return

A nun who had waited four months to get a replacement battery for her watch was first through the doors of Faller’s Jewellers in Galway City on Monday morning, as retail reopened for the first time in 2021.

“Anyone who has come in is just wishing us well and so glad to be out and about again. It’s great to finally have the doors open and see people coming and going,” said John Faller, manager of the Williamsgate Street jewellers.

“Town is slowly but surely coming back to life. People are taking it easy and coming in at their own pace, now that everyone has moved on from click and collect, and appointments,” he continued.

Similarly, Anthony Ryan, whose department store on Shop Street returned on Monday, said the sight of shoppers emerging from lockdown since Monday morning had been ‘very encouraging’.

“Trade has been very brisk, but the numbers have been very manageable. There are no big crowds out, but the people who are out are out for a reason – they are buying.

“We’re seeing older people out again, which is great. They have all been vaccinated at this stage, so it’s a bit like getting out of prison for them after months in lockdown,” said the city retailer, with that group absent in previous reopenings.

Women’s fashions have been performing particularly well, continued Mr Ryan, who said that people were buying for future events again, having been unable to do so until were rolled out.
This is a shortened preview version of this article. To read the rest of the story, see this week’s Connacht Tribune. You can buy a digital edition HERE.