CPM, Ireland’s leading field sales company, takes a look at the Irish retail news for this week. This is a one-stop shop for all your Irish retail news. If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter which will include all Retail articles for the previous month, including "Retail at a Glance" subscribe today.
Irish consumer sentiment posts partial rebound from COVID collapse
Irish consumer sentiment rebounded in May to recover almost a third of the record loss it suffered in April on the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, but remained close to historic lows, a survey showed on Wednesday.
Irish consumer confidence drops to an eight-year low
Irish consumer confidence has fallen to an eight-year low as the consumer economy collapsed amid the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a new survey has found. Disposable income has slumped by at least 25 per cent and consumer spending has also been hit…
Exterion research sheds light on consumer habits during lockdown
Exterion Media has published the latest wave of its Work.Shop.Play research which shines a light on some of the habits and thoughts of Irish consumers during lockdown. According to the research, there have been significant shifts in mood and sentiment since the first days of restriction.
Pricewatch: Left on the shelf - what we are no longer buying
There has been a lot of attention paid to how we shop and what we have been buying since the start of the Covid-19 crisis began but what we are leaving behind has been largely ignored, at least until now.
Irish household spending could fall by 20% in 2020, research shows
If a strict lockdown has to be reintroduced for a 12 week period from October due to a 'second wave' of infections, Irish household spending in 2020 could fall by 20%, according to a new study published today by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).
Retailers face huge monthly declines for the rest of 2020 – research
Leading figures in the retail sector want the Government’s reopening plan to be reviewed after detailed new industry research laid bare the huge monthly declines stores are facing for the rest of 2020.
35% of Irish adults shop online on a weekly basis
Irish adults shop online 44 times a year with over one in three (35%) claiming to shop online on at least a weekly basis, new data shows. Consumers shopping for groceries, hardware and DIY products as well as newspapers and magazines are less likely to do so online once the…
76% of consumers using contactless payments every week
Three quarters of consumers say they now use contactless payments at least once a week, according to a survey for the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland. The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted at the end of April by Coyne Research.
Facebook launches Shops as new online retail space for small businesses
Small businesses can now set up an online store for free on Facebook and Instagram, the social network has announced. Facebook Shops will enable users to create and customise a page for their business as well as choose which product to showcase.
Irish shoppers queue from early morning as thousands of businesses reopen
Thousands of people formed socially distanced queues from early morning to shop in businesses across the country that reopened on Monday as part of the first phase of the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions.
Pubs in Ireland to reopen in August at the earliest, government says
Pubs in Ireland won't open their doors until 10 August at the earliest, the Taoiseach has confirmed. Pubs, bars and nightclubs are all due to re-open under phase 5 of the government's newly-announced roadmap for easing lockdown restrictions.
Take-home alcohol sales have surged by €6m per day during lockdown, new data shows
Take-home alcohol sales have rocketed to a record €6million a day during lockdown, astonishing new data has revealed. The €342.5million spend on beer, wine and spirits accounts for the past eight weeks.
Opening hours and changes at Aldi, Tesco, Dunnes and Lidl as Ireland enters Phase 1
Irish supermarkets have saw some major changes in recent months as the coronavirus outbreak began. At first, there was a run on the retailers as shoppers scrambled to stock up on essential supplies.
SuperValu lists 15 Food Academy Producers in-store
SuperValu announced today that products from 15 new Irish food producers who have successfully completed the Food Academy programme will be on sale in SuperValu stores. One of the food start-ups to list in SuperValu is Thanks Plants, a 100% plant-based, handmade vegan sausages brand.
Tesco Ireland introduces new technology to help manage customer numbers
Tesco Ireland has announced plans for a technology-based customer number and queue management system to be rolled out across its stores nationwide as it continues to respond to COVID-19.
Lidl Ireland launch new COVID-19 What’s App chatbot
Lidl Ireland has launched a Covid-19 WhatsApp chatbot so customers can check the quietest times to shop at their local store in a matter of seconds. This innovative approach uses real time data and customer transaction numbers to determine which hours of the day are…
Lidl Ireland introduces COVID-19 queue management system
Lidl Ireland has announced that it is planning to introduce a new COVID-19 queue management system designed to control the number of customers entering and exiting the store at any one time, in order to maintain social distancing during busy periods.
Aldi now sell over 75 new Irish products as part of Grow with Aldi Programme
45 of Ireland’s most innovative Irish food and drink producers have won a new contract to supply Aldi’s 142 stores through its Grow with Aldi Supplier Development Programme. The products will now go on sale nationwide as part of an Aldi Specialbuys event, kicking off this…
Aldi Ireland 1 litre milk moves to plant-based packaging
Aldi Ireland today announced that all of its 1 litre fresh Irish milk cartons are moving to fully renewable and plant-based packaging. The change will affect more than 13.7 million cartons of milk annually, the discount retailer said.
Aldi crowned no. 1 Irish supermarket at the International Taste Institute Awards
Aldi has been crowned the number one Irish supermarket at the International Taste Institute Awards, which was held in Brussels this week. Eleven different Aldi products were among those recognised for their quality and taste, which was the most accolades won by…
Aldi unveils plans to open new Clonakilty store in 2022
Aldi today confirmed its plans to open a new store in the town by the end of 2022. The new store will be located in Clonakilty’s town centre The Waterfront. Aldi received planning permission for a store in April 2017 and this week lodged an application to alter its roof specifications…
Spar and Mace owner reports €1m in gardening supplies sales during lockdown
BWG Foods, the owner and operator of Spar and Mace stores in Ireland, has reported sales of gardening products in excess of €1m since the start of the COVID-19 lockdown. The retail group has taken advantage of the recent closure of garden centres and hardware stores…
BWG Foods reports ‘significant’ demand for gardening products
BWG Foods, owner and operator of the Spar, Eurospar, Mace, Londis and XL brands, has reported significant demand for gardening products during the lockdown period, with sales surpassing €1m over the past eight weeks.
Iceland reduces food waste by 23% in two years
UK retailer Iceland recently announced that it has reduced its food waste by nearly a quarter (23.2%) in the past two years. Initiatives implemented by the retailer resulted in cutting food waste by nearly 2,500 tonnes during this period.
Retailer Dealz plans to expand in Ireland and broaden its offer
Discount retailer Dealz still plans to open 10 new outlets in Ireland this year and could open as many each year for the foreseeable future, according to managing director Barry Williams. He also heads Poundland in the UK, and said the group intends to significantly expand its fresh…
Full list of retailers open in Ireland: Shopping hours for Woodies, Harvey Norman, Argos, Homebase and B&Q
Retail outlets that are primarily outdoor including garden centres, hardware stores, farmers markets have reopened this morning. Opticians and technology, IT and phone shops have also started to operate as normal again as part of phase one of easing restrictions around Ireland.
Paint and plants top customer lists as hardware stores report a busy two days
Like many other things during the Covid-19 pandemic, no one expected hardware stores to become a source of celebration and consternation. As queues formed outside shops yesterday on the first day of Phase One, some people asked – what is it that people need to buy so urgently?
McDonald's give timeframe for reopening of every drive-thru in Ireland
Six McDonald's drive-thrus in Dublin opened today but the rest of the country will have to do without for now. The fast-food restaurant is opening a small number of spots first before they reopen operations across the country - provided everything goes well.