The main department stores around the country are well prepared for the Christmas shopping onslaught, as typified by the Brown Thomas, Dublin, Christmas window displays, which are more than well up to the usual standards. Clery's windows, too, in O'Connell Street, Dublin, have been specially decorated with a Millenium theme.
In choosing the department stores listed in the accompanying guide, the aim has been to go for the larger, better-known stores, like Brown Thomas, Clerys, Arnotts and Marks & Spencer. Some of the stores chosen, like Shaw's almost nationwide, in Dun Laoghaire, are part of larger chains. Tesco's Merrion Centre, Dublin, and Bloomfield's, Dun Laoghaire, are listed under "stores" rather than "shopping centres" because in each case, the Tesco element is so dominant. Tesco, too, is very much a nationwide chain.
On the other hand, Dunnes Stores, part of a nationwide chain, is included at Cornelscourt, which is under the "shopping centre" listing. Cornelscourt is in that listing because most people regard it as one of the classic shopping centres, even though Dunnes Stores is the main occupier.
Some shops that operate on a nationwide basis, like Eason's, aren't listed because they are not really department stores. Neither is the new concept ICON centre at Leopardstown, Dublin, with its Kilkenny and Baileys stores.
As for opening hours, it's as well to check with each store, because in some cases, Christmas opening hours haven't been announced at the time of writing. With some other stores, opening hours are subject to change and anyway, in most cases, they vary from day to day the nearer Christmas gets. That is why we have included contact numbers to enable people to confirm details with the relevant stores.
With the stores that have announced daily opening hours for pre-Christmas shopping, the amount of data supplied has been such that compression was inevitable and necessary. Some main shopping streets, like Grafton Street and Mary Street in Dublin have already decided on their collective opening hours for the run up to Christmas.
One feature that's very noticeable this year is the way in which nearly all the stores, as well as the shopping centres, are promoting their facilities for the disabled. Not only do most stores and centres have easier access for disabled shoppers, but a growing number have shop-mobility vehicles - wheelchairs or scooters - available for customers' use. Eddie Shanahan, advertising, promotions and service manager at Arnott's in Dublin, says that they have extensive facilities for disabled shoppers, including low-rise ramps at all entrances and at certain strategic internal points. There are also plenty of lifts and escalators.
Home deliveries are another growing feature, and not just for heavy items like furniture and TV sets. Marks & Spencer, at its stores in central Dublin (two), Liffey Valley and Cork, is taking orders for turkeys, vegetables and hampers, all for home delivery, according to store spokesperson Fiona Garvey. Avoca Handweavers, Powerscourt, does home deliveries of heavy furniture in the Dublin and Wicklow areas.
Free gift wrapping is also widely available this Christmas. Brown Thomas has a free gift wrapping service for goods bought in its stores, and international deliveries, explains Frances Kenny of Brown Thomas's design, marketing and communications department, while Clery's is also offering a Christmas gift wrapping service. Other stores are following suit.
One very traditional aspect of Christmas will be in evidence at most stores-Santa Claus. Bernadette Mullarkey, group marketing manager in Clery's, Dublin, says: "This is our 70th year for Santa at Clery's, so it's very special this Christmas".
Avoca Handweavers in Powerscourt, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, will be featuring a special Santa's Grotto. This opens on Saturday, November 27th., and after opening that weekend and the following weekend, it'll be open daily from Saturday, December 11th until Thursday, December 23rd. Kids can also enjoy their own children's menus in the Terrace cafe at Powerscourt, during Santa's stay.
Generally speaking, most stores are much better prepared for kids this year, with lots of instore novelties and other attractions designed to appeal to children, who do after all represent quite considerable consumer spending power.
