The rain didn’t stop Ireland's bargain hunters from taking part in the St Stephen's Day sales.
Deeper price cuts than last year and a less harsh than expected Budget made for a buoyant opening to the winter sales today, according to retailers. Around the State sales were reported to be busier than on the same day last year with consumers seeking “genuine value” on items they would get “real use” of.
David Fitzsimons, chief executive of Retail Excellence Ireland, said the next few days would be crucial for the sector and predicted big discounts across particularly ’big ticket’ items such as furniture and electronics, as well as on the ’big buys’ in clothing, such as coats and footwear .
“The sales are incredibly important,” he said.
Leesa Kavanagh, retail director of Arnotts, said the post-Christmas sales were almost as importnat as the run up to Christmas, in terms of their impact on end-of-year sales figures.
“It’s really imporantt we offer true vale, true savings to consumers to attract them in and make the sales.”
Though many stores, including Dunnes Stores, Shaw’s, McElhinneys and Marks and Spencers, don’t begin their sales until today, there was definite first-day-of-the sales air in the main Dublin shopping streets by mid-morning.
Among those first out of bed was Frank O’Neill who was standing with his young son in his arms amid several shopping bags at his feet, outside BT2 in Grafton Street. At 9.30 am he and his wife had been in town since 7am.
“We’re just over from Australia and the kids wouldn’t sleep last night so we just decided to come into the city.”
Originally from Ringsend, Dublin he said he had been in Australia for 20 years. Asked which outlet they hit first, he said: “McDonald’s. And then Next.”
By early afternoon the lime-green paper carrier bags of Next seemed to be in every second person’s clutches. The British clothing and home-wares retailer began its sale at 6am. It is renowned for having large price reductions.
Among the savings to be made in its Grafton Street branch yesterday were ladies’ tailored jackets down from €60 to €19, cardigans from €67 to €32, floral shift dresses from €81 to €32 and chiffon blouses from €34 to €15.
Stephen Seely, managing director of Brown Thomas was “very pleased” with the first day of its sale, saying there were a “couple of hundred people waiting outside” for the 9 am opening.
“We’ve gone for deep cuts straight away in the sale, of up to 60 per cent. We want to get stock moving, get the autumn/winter stock cleared so we can fill the store with new spring/summer stock.”
As usual, among the most popular across its Cork, Galway, Limerick and Dublin branches were handbags.
The Grafton Street accessories department was mobbed yesterday as tables piled high were inspected and sorted by mainly women looking for such items as a black leather Mulberry handbag, down from €810 to €567, or an Alexander McQueen Ipad holder, down from €235 to €164.50.
There were queues into the Gucci section as new summer stock, from such labels as Miu Miu (black leather clutches a snip at €600) lay untouched for now.
Over on Henry Street Arnotts shoes and hangabgs departments also proved big draws. Price cuts were on a par with other years, at about 50 per cent, said Ms Kavanagh.
Huge queues gathered outside Mahon Point Shopping Centre and Opera Lane in Cork city as the post Christmas sales got underway. Retailers say last weekend was the busiest period for Irish shopping in the past five years.
David Fitzsimons, CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland, says the next few days will be crucial for the retail sector.
“The sales are incredibly important. We are going to see exceptional value especially for the big ticket categories such as flooring, furniture, consumer electronics that kind of stuff.”
“Our shops in Wilton and Blackpool shopping centre’s are busier because of the (poor) weather but it is going well. It is bringing out a lot of people. There is a lot of hustle and bustle. Our sale on laptops is going very well. We also have sales on TV’s and electrical goods.
Debenhams, New Look and River Island in Cork city centre all opened at 8am and reported brisk sales with Penney’s on Patrick Street resuming trade three hours later. Brown Thomas on Cork’s Patrick Street opened at 9am with strong sales in the cosmetics department.
In Limerick, most participating shops opened at 9am, with the largest queue being for handbags in Brown Thomas. Emer Spencer from Tipperary had her eye on two handbags and decided which one to keep when she was 20 minutes in the queue.
“I didn’t think the queues would be this long. Especially because I left it an hour and I thought, maybe it would have calmed down by now, but it hasn’t,” she said.
Despite a 30-minute wait to purchase her handbag, Ms Spencer said she didn’t regret facing the crowds during the sale, although she would have preferred more of a reduction.
“It’s not as much as I wanted, but if I left it any longer I know that they would all be gone.”
Australian tourists Joyce Haddon and Amanda Devine said they were surprised about the large queues, but are glad they went shopping rather than to the races.
“It’s very warm in Perth and over here it’s so cold and people still have to get out in the rain and get into the shops. It’s great fun,” Ms Devine said.
Seasoned St Stephen’s Day shopper Louise Haney said the crowds were just as big in Limerick as they have been in other years.
“There are more people than I actually thought there were going to be in here. I didn’t think the rain would put people off. Not for a bargain,” she said.