Telling staff the news was, he said, the “toughest decision” he’s had to make during his time at the company. Having been forced to shut stores for months they now find that, having reopened, business is dead. Add high rents to the mix and the future for the retail sector looks bleak. And Retail Excellence has been seeking rent talks with many shopping centre owners on behalf of its members. Arnold Dillon, director of Ibec-affiliated Retail Ireland, says that while the planned VAT reduction will help retailers, further assistance will be needed.

Source: The Irish Times August 13, 2020 17:37 UTC