Updated data from DublinTown, the collective voice of businesses in Dublin City Centre, has shown that footfall in Dublin city centre has continued to fall as people work from home and exercise social distancing.  

Footfall within the area declined by 80.3% during the week ended 29th March 2020. The downward trend in footfall accelerated as the week progressed. Footfall was down by 71.2% on Monday 23rd March and by Sunday 29th, following the Taoiseach’s announcement of further restrictions, it was down by 90%. 

DublinTown anticipates that footfall in the city centre area will be down by between 87 and 92% for the remainder of the current crisis. Streets with grocery shops and pharmacies showed the highest levels of footfall.

The decline on Talbot Street was 51% and on Moore Street it was 62%. These declines compare to a decline of 93% on South William Street and 87% on Grafton Street. The decline on Henry / Mary Street, which hosts two shopping centres with grocery and pharmacy outlets, was 78%.

Speaking about the decline in the figures, CEO of DublinTown, Richard Guiney said, "DublinTown supports the principle of keeping employees on the books of their employer.  Maintaining employment will clearly provide some reassurance for employees at this difficult and uncertain time, while it will also be crucial in enabling the economy to bounce back when the crisis has passed. It will be important for people to return to work as soon as it is safe to do so.  It will also be important to ensure sufficient consumer confidence to facilitate the recommencement of consumer spending."

He added, "This confidence will be greatly assisted where people remain in employment.  The flow of cash through the economy will be vital in providing cashflow to sustain business and also to create tax revenue for the state which will have its own budgetary considerations." 

Source: www.businessworld.ie