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Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie

This will be the best Christmas in almost a decade for Irish retailers

However, shops outside of Dublin have not seen as much of a boost.

A NEW SURVEY has found that Irish retailers are due to have their best Christmas in eight years.

Across the sector, sales are seen to be up between 3% and 5% on last year.

However, the bump in business will not be spread out evenly, with those outside of Dublin still facing challenges.

Retail Excellence Ireland (REI), which represents more than 1,200 companies and 13,000 shops, reported that problems with “weak footfall and underwhelming consumer activity” were still happening outside the capital.

What else impacts on shopping activity?

The representative body also outlined a number of other factors that had impacted on the Christmas retail period.

The harsh weather conditions that have been affecting the country over the last few weeks have driven down on-street retail.

Shopping centre retail however was less affected by this.

Black Friday was also highlighted as something of a mixed blessing for Irish retailers.

While there was a spike in sales on the day itself, activity in the week before and after it struggled.

Much business left?

The group has anticipated an upswing in trade in the final days before Christmas.

It is thought that this weekend and the days before Christmas next week will see demand peaking. Shops will be given an extra boost by a number of emigrants returning to the country with shopping to do.  

Read: Now Tesco has been slapped on the wrist over potentially unsafe hoverboards

Also: Here’s why ‘Culchie Shopping Day’ is now like any other

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20 Comments
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    Mute Brian Guilfoyle
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    May 21st 2020, 4:37 PM

    Hasn’t she been through enough!?

    1709
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    Mute Matthew O'Kane
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    May 21st 2020, 8:14 PM

    @Brian Guilfoyle: joe biden?

    10
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    Mute LFCMAD_94
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    May 21st 2020, 4:40 PM

    There’s a headline I didn’t think I’d see today

    473
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    Mute Wayne Connor
    Favourite Wayne Connor
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    May 21st 2020, 5:35 PM

    @LFCMAD_94:here’s a headline you’ll NEVER see ‘ Jedward quarantining with Oscar winner Tara Reid in L.A.’

    77
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    Mute jl
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    May 21st 2020, 7:05 PM

    @Wayne Connor: Oscar winner?!

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    Mute Wayne Connor
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    May 21st 2020, 11:53 PM

    @jl: did you not get the sarcasm ?

    12
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    Mute Kieran Stafford
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    May 22nd 2020, 12:13 AM

    @Wayne Connor: ”grammy award winning” Jedward. Now that’s one you’ll never see

    9
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    Mute David Linehan
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    May 21st 2020, 5:13 PM

    They got Jedward we got Matt Damon. I’ll take that.

    402
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    Mute Charles Alexander
    Favourite Charles Alexander
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    May 21st 2020, 4:43 PM

    God help her.

    306
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    Mute DeeM
    Favourite DeeM
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    May 21st 2020, 4:47 PM

    @Charles Alexander: God help her boyfriend!!!

    335
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    Mute Charles Alexander
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    May 21st 2020, 5:18 PM

    @DeeM: patience of a saint.

    94
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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    May 21st 2020, 6:18 PM

    @DeeM: I wouldn’t say he’s too worried

    40
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    Mute Ciarán O' Donoghue
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    May 21st 2020, 4:39 PM

    Sorry, but why is this news??

    287
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    Mute John Burns
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    May 21st 2020, 7:24 PM

    @Ciarán O’ Donoghue: It proves that no matter how bad you think things are, they could always be so much worse. Let’s bow our heads in silent gratitude.

    246
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    Mute Jake Kelly
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    May 21st 2020, 4:39 PM

    That’s a horror movie premise

    200
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    Mute Happy entertainment
    Favourite Happy entertainment
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    May 21st 2020, 4:38 PM

    I don’t know who to feel more sorry for her or them either way I can only imagine I’d rather have covid than be stuck with them

    154
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    Mute Dermot Quinn
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    May 21st 2020, 4:42 PM

    “Siri, how can the covid19 emergency get even worse?”

    135
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    Mute Derek
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    May 21st 2020, 5:59 PM

    @Dermot Quinn: Knock, Knock… “Wohooo…Yeaaahhh….It’s us, Jedward………. Grab our suitcases, will ya! “

    39
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    Mute Just Some Guy
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    May 21st 2020, 4:47 PM

    Donald Trump should make them citizens so they can stay there permanently. Ireland won’t miss them

    123
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    Mute Bernard Sweeney
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    May 21st 2020, 4:58 PM

    @Just Some Guy: just so you know, even if he did, it won’t mean that couldn’t travel back here.

    39
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    Mute KilkennyProud
    Favourite KilkennyProud
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    May 21st 2020, 5:08 PM

    I predict the Ray D’Arcy Show will be all over this story in the coming weeks.

    72
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    Mute Oliver Morgan
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    May 22nd 2020, 12:26 PM

    @KilkennyProud: let’s hope Darcy goes over to interview them & then stays there.

    1
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    Mute Shanners
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    May 21st 2020, 4:50 PM

    The universe is great. I love this.

    56
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    Mute Lisa #TeamJedward #VoiceOfARebel
    Favourite Lisa #TeamJedward #VoiceOfARebel
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    May 21st 2020, 5:23 PM

    John and Edward have been friends with Tara for 8 years and have been on holiday together many times.

    58
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    Mute KilkennyProud
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    May 21st 2020, 5:33 PM

    I’d say they’ll have to pay for their own holidays in future.

    36
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    Mute Lisa #TeamJedward #VoiceOfARebel
    Favourite Lisa #TeamJedward #VoiceOfARebel
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    May 21st 2020, 11:01 PM

    @KilkennyProud: they pay for their own holidays now!

    8
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    Mute Paul O'Sullivan
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    May 21st 2020, 4:55 PM

    Poor Tara Reid will need lots of therapy after those two…

    75
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    Mute Billy Davies
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    May 21st 2020, 6:20 PM

    @Damien: ive a feeling they’d be more into her fella

    57
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    Mute Juliet ☯️ #Voice Of A Rebel
    Favourite Juliet ☯️ #Voice Of A Rebel
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    May 21st 2020, 5:43 PM

    Its good to know they’re together and working on future projects together at this time. They have such a lovely, genuine friendship, something that’s always nice to see.

    47
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    Mute Football in the Groin
    Favourite Football in the Groin
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    May 21st 2020, 5:25 PM

    Jedward are still alive?

    49
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    Mute Simon Fitzgerald
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    May 21st 2020, 4:58 PM

    What?!? Wait….. What?

    33
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    Mute Brendan Walsh
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    May 21st 2020, 6:02 PM

    I think the media write these stories to make us all feel better about ourselves during the pandemic. No matter how bad you have it, it could be worse, you could be holed up in a small apartment with Jedward.

    36
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    Mute Dennis Farrelly
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    May 21st 2020, 4:50 PM

    The Journal will call any old rubbish news

    39
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    Mute Bernard Sweeney
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    May 21st 2020, 4:59 PM

    @Dennis Farrelly: The Journal calls any old rubbish news. There ya go, fixed it.

    23
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    Mute Thomas Meaney
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    May 21st 2020, 5:32 PM

    Ok so I “stumped up” to support the journal as it’s my go to for news every single day. This isn’t news nor a newsworthy story.

    20
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    Mute Daniel Dunne
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    May 22nd 2020, 12:25 AM

    @Thomas Meaney: sucker

    9
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    Mute Jack O Brien
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    May 21st 2020, 7:24 PM

    I’d rather live with two Chinese bats

    26
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    Mute Dermot Foley
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    May 21st 2020, 5:32 PM

    Slow news day obviously.

    17
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    Mute Michael Kavanagh
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    May 21st 2020, 6:01 PM

    Have some folk never heard of ‘if you got nothing good to say …… say nothing”.
    Have refugees from Liveline fetched up here?

    20
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    Mute J Flood
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    May 21st 2020, 8:23 PM

    And here I’m trying to keep my sanity. After reading this, I’m grand, no problems…

    11
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    Mute Ray McNamara
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    May 21st 2020, 7:21 PM

    Thought you’d got rid of The Daily Edge?

    10
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    Mute John O'Neill
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    May 21st 2020, 7:43 PM

    Don’t let them know when the lockdown is over, leave them quarantined.

    12
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    Mute Connoroconner
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    May 21st 2020, 5:32 PM

    That poor girl, she must have been a horrible person in a previous life to deserve this.

    21
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    Mute Mike Reynolds
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    May 21st 2020, 6:46 PM

    Who cares. Has the JOURNAL not got better news to report

    8
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    Mute Chris Marsh
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    May 21st 2020, 5:52 PM

    I love Edward

    6
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    Mute Joe Toner
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    May 21st 2020, 5:55 PM

    @Chris Marsh: Which one is she?

    21
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    Mute pat seery
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    May 21st 2020, 6:49 PM

    Are they still around

    6
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    Mute Orla Kiely
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    May 21st 2020, 10:51 PM

    Jaysus imagine the state of their hair after 10 weeks of lockdown! Thought I was bad, feel better now!

    6
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    Mute Liam Mc Meel
    Favourite Liam Mc Meel
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    May 21st 2020, 10:20 PM

    Ah poor Tara Reid what did she do to deserve that my heart goes out to her. Being driven mad by two headcases from lucan

    9
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    Mute Eugene Conroy
    Favourite Eugene Conroy
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    May 22nd 2020, 12:10 AM

    When Jedward were at the height of it the majority of Lucan started to use the clondalkin post code as thier home address. The trend has only recently been reversed

    4
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    Mute Paul Carew
    Favourite Paul Carew
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    May 21st 2020, 6:37 PM

    Do they know the difference between jam and marmalade

    4
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    Mute Lee Lindsay
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    May 21st 2020, 8:26 PM

    She probably kidnapped herself…

    5
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    Mute biggybald
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    May 21st 2020, 7:16 PM

    Why did you delete my comment Conor? They are gob$#!+€$

    7
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    Mute Gary Connolly
    Favourite Gary Connolly
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    May 21st 2020, 6:35 PM

    Who Care’sssssssss.

    3
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    Mute Joe Dixon
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    May 22nd 2020, 4:43 PM

    Who actually cares about this pair of talentless people

    3
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    Mute Stephen Bender
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    May 22nd 2020, 6:35 AM

    Poor Tara

    2
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    Mute Ed
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    May 22nd 2020, 9:42 AM

    3 nobodies. Who really cares what they do?

    2
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    Mute Dan Black
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    May 21st 2020, 7:35 PM

    Does anybody really give a flying f**k??

    10
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    Mute Michael Hanley
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    May 22nd 2020, 2:00 AM

    Wonder if they will be Deported if they OVERSTAY the 90 day visa,,,

    1
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    Mute Daithi Mac An TSionnaigh
    Favourite Daithi Mac An TSionnaigh
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    May 22nd 2020, 4:09 AM

    That poor woman

    1
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