Fianna Fáil councillor Jason Murphy has said that Waterford retail seems stuck in the past in relation to the opening hours of the business, and has suggested that this must change as Waterford’s retail offering are “really, really, in trouble.”
Speaking at the December meeting for the Waterford Metropolitan Area, Cllr. Murphy has said a complete overhaul in mentality is needed as retail in the town seems stuck in an 80’s mentality.
“Retail in our core city centre is suffering. I sometimes think we are stuck in an 80’s mentality, in relation to retail. We still believe we survive on one income families and that there is a lady or a wife goes into town, during 8-5 and does the shopping.”
This comment was questioned by Sinn Féin councillor Joeanne Bailey, but Cllr. Murphy reiterated that he was referred to Irish life as it was during the 80’s.
“We need to get past that attitude. The reality is now we live in a two income household and the real issue is about time all families are under pressure for time. You have people working when the city is open and when they’re finished work the city is closed," Cllr. Murphy said.
“They can’t actually get in to do their shopping.”
According to the councillor, the Council and Waterford retailers need to come together and develop a more modern understanding what a nighttime economy can and should entail.
“I would like to see our City Centre Management committee look at this and see if the Council can promote a proper night time economy, because when we talk about a nighttime economy we are actually talking about pubs and entertainment, but there is more to the nighttime economy and I think it’s about having shops open in the evening," he said.
"I was in on Wednesday night and the only shops that were open were Penny’s and Elvery Sports, and they were doing quite a good bit of business, but outside of that the town was dead. Again, people are working, they can’t get into town when it’s open. This requires a sea change in attitude in terms of opening hours."
Cllr. Murphy closed by saying that such a change cannot be left to the retailers to manage alone.
“I know people would say that’s up to retail but we can do this we have ingenuity around the rates that we give people, maybe some kind of reduction in the rates if they open in the evening," Cllr. Murphy said.
"I think it’s something that we have to look at because we are really, really, in trouble in terms of our retail offering in the city centre and I think we need to use imaginative measures to push it forward," he added.
AARON KENT
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
