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  • irishtimes.com - Posted: December 17, 2009 @ 11:44 am

    Mind the Gap

    Conor Pope

    Gap in Dublin have apparently introduced a charge of one euro to wrap presents? Why on earth would they do that? They’ll make peanuts from it and annoy absolutely everyone.

    • 7 Comments »

    1.
    December 17, 2009
    12:47 pm

    The only thing I can think of that would make any sense is that it’s a nominal fee, for charity – is it?! I have my fingers crossed.

    Comment by Rosemary
    2.
    December 17, 2009
    1:26 pm

    Is it really that unreasonable? I don’t walk in to a shop and expect them to wrap items for me for nothing (sure we even have to pay for the bags these days). Fair enough a lot of retailers do offer free wrapping but equally I’ve across many that don’t. Is this really an issue worth manning the barricades over?

    Comment by Tom Ennis
    3.
    December 17, 2009
    2:25 pm

    One of the problems with the retail industry in Ireland is that there is no concept of customer service, no respect for the customer and as such, no real effort to go the extra mile.

    The same company in Canada sells the exact same clothes for about 50% less, and because of healthy competition with other clothes retailers will give vouchers for up to 40% off other items on the next visit.

    In Ireland they look at how they can squeeze an extra few quid out of the customer.

    Comment by Toronto Icarus
    4.
    December 17, 2009
    3:47 pm

    Actually I’m going to guess it’s got nothing to do with making money. I’m going to guess that wrapping was bogging the staff down and slowing up the registers. It’s a deterrent, not a money making exercise.

    Comment by dealga
    5.
    December 17, 2009
    4:18 pm

    Dealga you’re probably right it is a deterrent but it is only going to create ill-will. It would be much better, I reckon, to be simply not offer a wrapping service.

    Comment by Conor Pope
    6.
    December 18, 2009
    10:56 am

    Gift wrapping in GAP was always free of charge, so why the change. If it is to act as a deterrent in order to speed up the q’s at the register, they would be better off scapping the whole service all together, or donate the funds raised to a charity.

    Comment by Redstar
    7.
    December 18, 2009
    11:32 am

    Considering how overpriced everything is in the Gap, charging for wrapping isn’t a surprise.

    Comment by Caroline

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