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Retail Ireland

Retail Ireland is the national representative body for the retail sector. It represents department stores, major supermarket groups, symbol groups and specialist retailers with a national presence. The retail sector There are over 20,000 food and non-food retail enterprises in Ireland. These companies are both Irish and international. They have all invested heavily in their businesses in the last decade. They collected a net €1.8 bn in VAT for the Exchequer in 2008 Key issues for the sector Falling demand The biggest issue facing the retail sector is the collapse in consumer spending In 2008 retail sales fell by the largest annual drop ever recorded Total consumer spending (of which retail spending is a subset) is expected to fall by over 6% in 2009. Employment Retailing is a major employer in every community in the country and the spending power of these employees is crucial to local towns and villages. Retailing offers people careers in their own locality. Retailing provides a range of specialised careers such as merchandising and supply chain management and invests heavily in staff training Approximately 250,000 people work in retailing. Unfortunately retail employment is falling. Retail Ireland estimates that at least 25,000 retail employees will go onto the Live Register in 2009 and that this trend will continue into 2010. Local sourcing Retailers source locally where possible, especially fresh food. The retail sector is crucial as the channel to market for €10bn of Irish food produce. Retailers have a strong commitment to sourcing Irish food produce. Retailers provide a ready market for small local producers and are usually their first customers. Retailers here that are part of a group with operations in other countries can provide access for Irish producers to the wider group. Serving the customer Retailing is intensely competitive because anybody is free to open a shop in Ireland.. Retailers are kept on their toes by the arrival new market entrants. Retail is dominated by consumer preferences – quality, value for money, customer service, choice, new products, healthy foodstuffs and lower prices. Retailers serve the customer through innovation in store design and format, through the use of new technology and new operating processes. Retailing is very close to the public as it involves millions of daily transactions. Nobody forces customers to use any one retailer – customers make their own choice. Without customers a retailer goes out of business so customers have the power in the relationship. Retailers here have a major problem because their have fewer customers, those customers are spending less and some of what they are spending is being spent in the North Action needed Retailers are suffering more than anybody due to the fall in retail sales and need help in the areas below. a targeted reduction in VAT for a specific period to stimulate retail sales; a reduction in costs on the retail sector that Government directly controls, such as commercial rates, waste disposal and electricity reducing the excise levels on alcohol because alcohol is the single biggest common factor in cross border shopping trips.

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Contact us
Torlach Denihan Director firstname.surname@ibec.ie tel 01 605 1661

RRAI website

Related News

08/07/2010: Retail Ireland reaction to CSO retail sales figures

08/07/2010: Retail recovery loses some steam in second quarter

02/04/2009: Retail Sector faces challenges

21/05/2009: Retail Ireland comments on retail sales figures

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