RETAILERS SAY the post-Christmas sales have started well as they try to make up for losses incurred during dismal trading before the holiday period.
The traditional post-Christmas sales season got under way on Saturday to a backdrop of gloom in the retail sector and threats of major job losses in the new year.
Major retailers reported a busy start to the sales, with shoppers turning out in droves from the early morning to take advantage of unprecedented levels of discounting.
Peter Scott, retail operations director of Arnotts, said initial indications for the sale were good. "Footfall on Saturday was level with last year though turnover was slightly down but not to the extent seen pre-Christmas."
Shoppers were slow to turn out yesterday morning but Mr Scott put this down to it being a Sunday and expressed confidence that this week would be a busy one.
Ladies' clothes and footwear, furniture and linens all did well this weekend but men failed to turn out to buy clothes in the expected numbers, he said.
Brown Thomas said all its stores around the State were very busy at the weekend. "Overall we were happy with the performance so far," said Nigel Blow, chief executive of the group.
Consumers' expectations are higher than ever this year, given the level of discounting that, unusually, continued right up to Christmas Eve. Most outlets are offering reductions of up to 50 per cent in the latest sales, and some are offering discounts of up to 70 per cent.
In Dublin city centre, footfall was down over 10 per cent on last year in the run-up to Christmas, according to figures from the Dublin City Business Association, and some retailers are 20 per cent down. Sales figures are not available yet but, given the level of discounting, they are likely to be even worse.
Tom Coffey, the association's chief executive, said job losses were likely in the sector unless trading conditions improved.
"People are already walking out. There are traders in shopping centres who are well behind on their rent and service charges."
Mr Blow of Brown Thomas said trading in December "wasn't the disaster we feared".
"Yes, it was tough, but it finished a lot stronger than we expected and the last three days before Christmas were good. That has given us heart."
Mr Coffey blamed the "constant negativity" of some media commentators for discouraging consumers from spending.
"There is a lot of dissatisfaction with PR agencies outside the State who have confused the Irish and British economies, and with the performance of non-journalists on entertainment shows with their loose, unsubstantiated talk spreading so much gloom and doom."