Dublin retailers, restaurants and pubs fearful of long-term impact of violent scenes

Some retail businesses in Dublin face the “grim possibility of not recovering” after a night of violence in the city centre exacerbated problems which they have been forced to contend with in recent years, a leading industry figure has warned.

Jean McCabe, of Retail Excellence, described Thursday night’s violence as “a hammer blow” to all traders in Dublin city centre, and she said they have been “grappling with an unprecedented rise in anti-social behaviour in recent times”.

She said the challenges facing retailers in the city centre have been “exacerbated by poor footfall, a rapidly rising cost base, and the unfortunate timing of missing out on one of the biggest shopping days in the Irish retail calendar. The cumulative impact of these challenges will have a lasting effect on businesses, with some facing the grim possibility of not recovering.”

There was a queue of shoppers outside Arnott’s on Dublin’s Henry Street as it got ready for a delayed re-opening at midday on Friday after a night of rioting which saw it targeted by looters.

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The retailer was “delighted” to see people showing their support, with chief executive Donald McDonald saying earlier in the day that a store that has stood in the city centre for 180 years would not have its spirit broken by the actions of a handful of violent criminals.

Despite the evident solidarity, a day which had promised much for retailers across Dublin and had looked likely to kick-start the Christmas shopping season in earnest was considerably bleaker as a result of fears the violent scenes on Thursday would bring significant financial pain to hundreds of businesses across the city and risk making it a no-go area in the run-up to Christmas.

While the short term consequences were significant with businesses, restaurants and pubs forced to close for much of Thursday night and open later and close earlier on Friday, the long term impact could see people choosing to spend their money away from the city centre, industry sources have warned.

A trend towards online shopping with overseas operators and a move to out-of-town shopping centres could be accelerated if the scenes seen on Thursday are repeated.

Arnold Dillon of Retail Ireland said that footfall on Black Friday was “significantly down” on what retailers had anticipated, with Brown Thomas and Arnott’s both taking the decision to open later and close earlier on Friday.

Mr Dillon said he had been in contact with many businesses in the city and they had told him that their primary concern was “staff and the staff welfare”. He pointed to “challenges getting staff out yesterday and some needed the assistance of gardaí. Many of them had to delay their opening on Friday.”

He said there was “an expectation that we will see a very significant Garda response over the weekend. But our big concern is how this will affect consumer behaviour over the coming weeks.”

Adrian Cummins of the Restaurants Association of Ireland said that throughout Friday he had been contacted by his members in Dublin expressing concern about a spike in cancellations. Many restaurants that rely on food deliveries would also suffer, with many cyclists concerned for their welfare as they traversed the city at night.

Mr Cummins expressed confidence that there would be an increased Garda presence over the weekend but said that it would have to be maintained “every night all through the Christmas and beyond”.

He said Thursday night’s violent unrest had forced many restaurants and pubs in the city to close. “We are heading into a period that is critical for the industry and you can’t afford to lose even one or two days trading. We’re hoping that this was just a one-night event, obviously.”

The Licensed Vintners Association (LVA), which represents Dublin publicans, said major changes to boost safety on the streets were needed.

“As everyone who is concerned about Dublin sets about repairing the damage done to the city we have to take a longer-term, strategic approach to what steps can be taken to ensure lasting solutions. We believe it is essential that the policing strategy is adjusted so that there is now a high profile, sustained Garda presence on Dublin streets throughout the city centre on a permanent basis,” said Donall O’Keeffe, LVA chief executive.

“This needs to be put in place immediately for the key trading period through to new year, but it also has to amount to a lot more than a short-term response. That means maintaining the presence throughout 2024 and beyond. The LVA has been pressing for the need for higher visibility policing throughout the city for many months, and the events on Thursday night once again emphasised why this is essential for the longer-term maintenance of public order in our capital.”

He said help would be offered to the businesses that suffered damages and loss. “We’ll have to work out the details depending on whether they’re covered by insurance or not.”