Search Results for 'retail sector'

Mullingar Town Council is getting behind the National Shop for Ireland Day, due to take place on Saturday September 24.

Green Party councillor Malcolm Noonan has criticised the Finance Minister’s recent comments advising people to ‘get shopping’ amid reports that further cuts are in the pipeline for low paid workers and changes are likely in wage agreements for the lower paid.

Green Party councillor Malcolm Noonan has criticised the Finance Minister’s recent comments advising people to ‘get shopping’ amid reports that further cuts are in the pipeline for low paid workers and changes are likely in wage agreements for the lower paid.

Ireland’s largest retail industry trade body has expressed its support of the Government’s plans to abolish upward only rent review clauses. Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) claims more than 40,000 jobs are at risk in the retail sector unless the system is removed. Currently, rent prices can only increase or remain the same under review, regardless of decreases in market rates. Since rental retail rates increased by 240% between 2000 and 2007, compared to a 30% increment in consumer prices, REI claims businesses are not paying a fair market rate. As it stands, Ireland is one of just a handful of countries who still employ the system, with the remaining jurisdictions employing a market-based approach.

Sinn Féin councillor Thérèse Ruane is calling for the abolition of the Universal Social Charge. Describing this tax as a grossly unfair and regressive tax, she will be seeking the support of her colleagues on Castlebar Town Council at next week's monthly meeting for its abolition.

Retail Ireland, the group that represents the Irish retail sector, has released the results of an industry-wide survey, which found that retailers remain pessimistic about the trading outlook. Some 56 per cent of respondents rated the prospects for their business over the three months from March to May as poor or very poor, some 27 per cent rated it as average and 17 per cent rated it as good for this period.

Mayo based Homecare Medical Supplies, one of Ireland’s leading distributors of medical equipment and daily consumables, has recently had its Quality Management System achieve ISO 13485:2003 accreditation. An internationally recognised standard for medical device companies, Homecare’s ISO 13485 certification is applicable specifically to the sales and distribution of medical equipment and consumables, including the decontamination and service of medical equipment.

The decline in retail sales at the end of last year has caused Retail Excellence Ireland (REI) to predict that more than 400 retail stores will close during January 2011.

Countless jobs have been lost in the retail sector because of upward-only rent reviews which are forcing retailers, in a time of economic crisis, to pay ever higher rents to landlords.

December 2010 stands as ‘the weakest period of trading in recent history’, according to Retail Excellence Ireland (REI). However, according to David Fitzsimons, chief executive, REI, city shops fared worse than regional traders over Christmas just past.