Sir, – Conor Pope's article "Death of the Irish Shop" (February 24th) rightly bemoans the denuding of our formerly rich retail environment. But isn't it high time for retailers to wake up to the fact that most shops' opening hours are totally out of sync with how people actually live?
It is ludicrous that retail outlets are shutting their doors at exactly the same time as hundreds of people are leaving their workplaces and making their way home, past a plethora of closed shops.
Is it out of the question for at least some retailers to extend or change their opening hours to suit people’s workday schedules?
There is little point in opening from 9.30am to 5.30pm when the vast majority of potential customers are far too busy to come in and browse.
As for online retail, perhaps the main reason why people use this service is convenience rather than price.
When you can’t get to the shops because they close just as you are about to leave work or college, online shopping is definitely the more attractive option. – Yours, etc,
EMER HUGHES,
Athlone,
Co Westmeath.
Sir, – This week to mourn the closure of Walton’s music shop in Dublin city centre, people stuck photocopies of sheet music up on the building.
Photocopying and illegal downloads of sheet music are causing an unfortunate decline in revenue for music-related businesses.
Buy music, pay composers for their work, and keep these kind of retail outlets open. – Yours, etc,
GAVIN BRENNAN,
Clontarf,
Dublin 3.