More than 600 newsagents and convenience stores will close down this year with the loss of over 7,000 jobs, it was claimed today.
According to the Convenience Stores Newsagents Association (CSNA) which represents 1,500 small and medium sized retailers around the country, about a dozen stores are closing down each week.
The organisation said that closures have accelerated rapidly since the New Year with many small towns suffering as a result.
“The speed at which small enterprises are being driven out of business is unprecedented,” said CSNA chief executive Vincent Jennings.
“Because these jobs are being lost a handful at a time many people don’t realise the scale of the disaster, but this is a virulent cancer eating away at communities all over the country,” he added.
The CSNA said that while the recession has had an impact on convenience stores, new regulations such as tobacco display bans and compliance issues have also hit shop owners.
The organisation has called on the Government to intervene to ensure that most newsagents and convenience don’t go out of business.
“Taoiseach Brian Cowen says that Ireland has to redouble its efforts to sustain employment and he personally insists that jobs are his number one priority. This sentiment should not just apply to companies like Dell or Intel,” said Mr Jennings.
“I call on Brian Cowen and his Cabinet to live up to his pledge on jobs. The Government must look at the regulations and potential regulations it has under its control. And it must not do anything that will cost struggling shop owners money they simply do not have at this time," he added.
