Dublin’s O’Connell Street, usually alive and cacophonous with traffic was eerily quiet on Wednesday morning with empty tractors and lorries lining the street, but little other activity as fuel protesters blocked O’Connell Bridge.
By late afternoon the street was thronged with pedestrians, though this did not necessarily translate into business for the street’s retailers.
“We had much lower footfall, about 20 per cent down,” Ana Stojanovec manager at Decathalon sports store on O’Connell Street said. “Deliveries were fine because we receive the truck from the backside of the shop, but definitely lower levels of customers and, we can see in the terms of purchasing that they’re not buying bigger items because they can’t carry them. It’s more small, tiny bits.”
Tom Duffy, owner of Duffy’s Curtains on North Earl Street, had to go around the houses, literally, to get to and from his shop.
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“I was out measuring today and had to return from Stillorgan into the city centre. It took me two-and-a-half hours. Trying to take any sort of direct route – over the East Link or coming over Townsend Street, was impossible, it was closed off and then I was sent around Nassau Street, I was going around in circles.”
Deliveries have been delayed over the last two days, but did eventually come to the shop late in the day, he said. Duffy is concerned that if the protests continue it will deter people from coming into the city.
“I understand the reason for their protests, but we’ve done nothing wrong in this and we still have to pay for it, not the Government, as well as having to pay the same higher prices for diesel at the pumps.”
At Hickey’s pharmacy close to O’Connell Bridge, Niamh Winter said their usual delivery could not get to the shop on Tuesday evening leaving them without some stock on Wednesday.
“We were missing a few things from yesterday evening, some things we were supposed to order for people, but we got some deliveries late today and I think we have most of it now.”
She said customers who had prescription medicines ordered have been accommodated. “Thankfully, I think we have all the most important stuff, but some of the over-the-counter stuff has been delayed.”
In Footlocker at O’Connell Bridge, manager Joanna Kwiatkowska said while footfall was high, sales were down.
“I think because a lot of people were walking instead of buses and passing the store, they were coming in, but it wasn’t resulting in sales, and we had no delivery today because of the protest, and we were expecting a big delivery.”
Staff were also affected by the protest she said.
“It has affected our staff travelling to work. Even myself, I’ve checked already and my bus home is cancelled, so I’ll have to think of another way.”
She said she was not convinced of the point of the action.
“I don’t understand why they’re doing the protest. This is not Ireland’s fault, it’s a global problem, so for me, it makes no sense.”
Mark Limby, stores director for Brown Thomas and Arnotts, said there had been “some impact on footfall” as a result of the protests. “We’ve adjusted our delivery schedules to navigate congestion,” he said. “We recognise the pressures across many sectors and support a timely resolution that protects livelihoods and our city centres.”
Richard Guiney, chief executive of business organisation Dublin Town, said the protest was hitting businesses that are themselves having to cope with increased fuel prices.
“The experience over the years has shown that protests like this don’t help the protesters and it is definitely not helping the city,” he said. “The impact is greatest on the north side of the city, which can least afford it.
“We have had calls from businesses where staff have not been able to get in and obviously there is an impact from customers choosing not to come in.
“In terms of haulage, we represent 2,500 businesses that would be getting pretty much daily deliveries, so they are punishing their customers’ base. At this stage they have made their views known and it is now just having a negative impact and based on the feedback I am getting, they could be losing the goodwill of the people that they need support from.”
