RETAIL THERAPY is often not much of a mood lifter when conducted en famille, but the Cushnahan family from Malahide were still smiling after a day-long shopping spree in Dublin.
Father Kieran carried the bags and mother Edel carried little daughter Eryn, while sons Ronan (8) and Cian (nearly 11) maintained their equanimity thanks to a McDonald's lunch and the promise they could spend gift vouchers at Elvery's before the day's end. They found the best bargains in Arnotts, where there was a 50 per cent discount on towels and bedcovers.
There was a steady footfall along Henry Street for the third day of post-Christmas sales. Mother and daughter Mary and Liz Casey from Tipperary had a modest stash of spoils after their second day of scouring the sales.
"There definitely are bargains, but you have to search," said Liz, who was particularly proud of her new shoes from Faith, marked down from €120 to €50.
Carmel O'Rourke from Killester ended up shopping for two. "I bought myself a knitted dress and phoned my sister, and she said she'd have one too at that price." Her best buy was an Oasis vintage dress down from €145 to €58.
Not all were sharing in the bargain buzz, however. Clare Carroll and Maeve Morrin had risen early to beat the traffic from Carbury, Co Kildare, and arrived ready for action at 9am only to find they'd already missed the boat in some cases.
"All the bargains are gone already," complained Clare. "It is really cheap, but they do put out a lot of rubbish." Maeve said they had ended up paying full price on many of their purchases. "Most of the things we got weren't really on sale," she said. Having decided against a trip to Belfast, the two disappointed bargain hunters were reconsidering after their day in Dublin.
Gyongyi Barta from Hungary felt this year's sales surpassed the previous year's. "All the stuff is a lot cheaper," she said. "Last year I didn't buy anything, but I definitely think the sales are better this year."