Riots hit Black Friday weekend spending in city centre

Bank of Ireland figures show card spending in city centre was down over a quarter at the weekend and by 46% on Friday

Footlocker on O'Connell Street was just one of many stores damages in last weeks riot: shoppers avoided the city centre over following days. Photograph: RollingNews.ie
Footlocker on O'Connell Street was just one of many stores damages in last weeks riot: shoppers avoided the city centre over following days. Photograph: RollingNews.ie

Shoppers shunned Dublin city centre in the aftermath of last Thursday’s riot, according to new consumer spending figures.

Data on credit and debit card spending from Bank of Ireland show that “in person” spending on Black Friday in Dublin 1 and 2 was just over half the figure for the same day last year.

The bank’s figures how spending at city centre stores continued to be significantly impacted for the rest of one of the highest spending weekends in the retail year.

The Bank of Ireland numbers show that spending on Friday was down 46 per cent on 2022, with spending 27 per cent weaker on both Saturday and Sunday compared to the same days last year.

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“This violence hurt Dublin. It was bad for everyone who lives, works, studies, visits and does business in the city,” said Susan Russell, chief executive of Bank of Ireland Retail Ireland.

“Our thoughts are with those injured and affected by last Thursday’s appalling events, especially the children and their carer at Parnell Square, the members of An Garda Síochána who worked to protect the city during the night, and communities and businesses in Dublin city.”