The plight of the small business owner, has never been so clearly seen than through the lens of COVID-19, and the measures introduced by the government around ‘essential services’.

On March 27th the Government enacted regulations in relation to the provision of essential services. This included a list of essential retail outlets which could open.

Here is the list:

1. Retail and wholesale sale of food, beverages and newspapers in non-specialised and specialised stores

2. Retail sale of household consumer products necessary to maintain the safety and sanitation of residences and businesses

3. Pharmacies/Chemists and retailers providing pharmaceuticals, pharmaceutical or dispensing services

4. Retail sale of selling medical and orthopaedic goods in specialised stores

5. Fuel stations and heating fuel providers

6. Retail sale of essential items for the health and welfare of animals, including animal feed and medicines, animal food, pet food and animal supplies including bedding

7. Laundries and Drycleaners

8. Banks, Post Offices and Credit Unions

9. Retail sale of safety supply stores (work clothes, Personal Protective Equipment, for example)

This list of essential retailers has been in operation for the last month. These regulations have displayed some very unfair consequences for the small, locally owned retail business.

The main consequence is that supermarkets can continue to sell non-essential items while the small local shop, selling the same items has to remain closed.

Currently on sale in the supermarkets of Co.Wexford are:

• Garden and bedding plants – yet small independent garden centres have to remain closed
• Clothes – some large supermarkets have their clothes departments still operating as normal yet the small family run clothes shop has to remain closed
• Shoes – independent shoe shops have to be closed, yet Tesco or Dunnes can continue to sell shoes
• Hardware/Tool Shops – can’t allow customers inside their shops, yet Lidl can currently stock and sell tools
• Stationery shops – those small office supply shops are closed, yet again the large supermarkets can sell as much stationery as they please
• Books/DVDs/CDs – Supermarkets can continue to sell these, yet the small business selling the same has to remain closed

There are, I’m sure many other examples; you get the picture.

It is time for the government to address this contradiction with a view to supporting the livelihood of the small business person.

• If shoes can be sold in Tesco, then Billy Doyle’s, Hanrahans, JJ Murphy’s, J’Adore etc should be allowed to open.

• If plants can be sold in Lidl or Aldi, then Hylands, Kilcannon, Springmount, Drinagh etc should be permitted to do the same.

• If clothes can be sold in Dunnes then Mister H, Hores, Bredas etc should be allowed to get back in business.

There are hundreds of small retailers across County Wexford, employing thousands of people, being left out in the cold, while the big supermarkets and multinational retail giants can operate with minimal disruption. These small businesses should be allowed to open, if they wish, under the same conditions as the supermarkets can open with the necessary precautions taken.

Our towns and small businesses have been struggling enough in recent years due to the increased availability of all-in-one shops on the outskirts of towns, and the increased use of online shopping. The retail market therefore is ultra competitive and if the small retailer is forced to remain closed for much longer, it could be the final nail in the coffin of our town centres.