General Industry News

Revealed: Phased plan to exit coronavirus lockdown in Ireland may see cafes reopen by midsummer

The Irish Times – 29.04.2020

Cafes and restaurants could reopen by the middle of the summer, with people allowed travel within Ireland for holidays by late summer, under plans being discussed to gradually lift the coronavirus lockdown. The Irish Times understands the early stages of plans being discussed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) would see retailers, cafes and restaurants reopen on a limited basis, with the tourist industry also reopening on a limited basis in the mid-stages. The phases are broken down as: initial phase, early phase stage one, early phase stage two, middle phases and late phases. The latter two phases could be broken down into more stages. Initial drafts of the plan spaced the phases out in periods between early May and September, although no dates are on the latest draft being considered by NPHET.

Drinks Ireland says overall Irish alcohol sales have fallen due to COVID-19 crisis

Hospitality Ireland – 27.04.2020

According to data firm Nielsen, alcohol sales at Irish off-licences and supermarkets increased by 44% to €49.3 million over the Easter period. However, Drinks Ireland, the Ibec group that represents drinks manufacturers, brand owners and distributors on the island of Ireland, has said that overall alcohol sales have fallen by approximately 30% in Ireland since COVID-19-related business restrictions were introduced, according to industry estimates. Drinks Ireland director Patricia Callan stated, "The on-trade, that is all pubs, restaurants and hotels, usually account for 55% of total alcohol sales and they are completely closed.  Therefore, as expected, we have seen a rise in off-trade sales, but this increase in no way compensates for the loss in sales associated with the on-trade being closed, so overall we estimate that alcohol consumption in Ireland could be down by around 30%.