The Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) has about 1,500 members nationwide, making it Ireland’s largest independent retailer representative body. Because of COVID-19, its members have transformed how they do business almost overnight.
Many are offering telephone and online ordering to enable collection. Or they are running a ‘beep and boot’ drop service as well as dedicated delivery services so that their customers receive the supplies they need.
People are coming to us who would normally shop in the big multiples
They have also invested in protective measures for their customers and staff who are on the front line against COVID-19. Most importantly of all they are keeping their shelves stacked with the produce their customers really need.
Peter Gaughan owns the SPAR supermarket in Balla, Co Mayo, and he says footfall is up. “People are coming to us who would normally shop in the big multiples. Here, there are no long queues and people are buying more.”
Peter says there’s been no panic buying and he didn’t even run out of flour. “Grocery sales are well up, as are off-licence sales and cleaning products but the deli, confectionary, ice cream and coffee trade is shot to pieces.
While we are very happy about the grocery trade, it’s low-margin when compared to these
“We have no school trade, there’s no passing trade, and builders aren’t working so there’s no one looking for filled rolls and hot food. While we are very happy about the grocery trade, it’s low-margin when compared to these.”
People have bought into the social distancing rules and are respectful of each other says Peter.
Some people are wearing gloves and masks and it’s amazing how this is the new normal
“They are all worried about the virus. We put down markers to guide them and everyone is careful about obeying the rules. Some people are wearing gloves and masks and it’s amazing how this is the new normal.”
Keeping his staff safe was a key priority for Peter and he put big screens around the tills from early on and that eased their concerns. Sanitiser and gloves are available to staff and customers.
‘Beep and boot’
Peter also runs the local post office and he’s operating a system where pensions and disability payments are paid one week with social welfare payments made the following week. It helps with social distancing.
People are dialling in grocery orders and mostly he can do same-day delivery.
“We also do ‘beep and boot’ where if someone rings in an order we can have it ready in 90 minutes. They arrive at the door, beep the horn and we will put their order in their boot. We take payment over the phone or they can tap their card.”
The hours are long but all of us working here have a great sense of pride that we are helping people
Peter says while the older age group are managing well, they are scared.
“There’s one house I deliver to where the elderly couple won’t even handle their change.” Peter hasn’t had a break since this started.
“The hours are long but all of us working here have a great sense of pride that we are helping people in what are very difficult times.”
Over 120 years in business
Shop keeping runs in the veins of Denis O’Flynn as he continues a family business that was established in 1894.
His MACE shop and post office is in Lady’s Bridge on the Middleton to Youghal road in Co Cork. It’s a rural area with old established families, retired couples as well as young families newly located to the area.
Denis O'Flynn whose family have been running a store in Lady's Bridge, Co Cork, since 1894.
Denis is helping older people with a delivery run in the mornings.
“We’ve about 14 people on the run. Cornflakes, milk and Ireland’s Own are very popular. Half of them even buy the Farmers Journal.”
While the daily run is new, Denis’s dad started a Saturday delivery way back in 1954 and some of those customers still take deliveries.
‘So I can see you’
“I ‘drop and go’ and usually leave the messages at the front door. I got a call from one man who asked me to come to the back door and when I asked why he said, ‘So I can see you’. I thought it was so sad I nearly cried. Now we have an auld (distanced) chat when I call.”
We only allow six customers at a time and they respect this
Denis says people are very good about obeying the rules. He made the till screens himself and they are a comfort to his staff. Hand sanitiser is freely available.
“We only allow six customers at a time and they respect this. The shelves are full and with the exception of flour we’ve not run out of anything. I now ration the flour.”
The last time I saw so many fivers and tenners was 2008-10
Grocery sales are good but are low-margin when compared with minerals at 22% and chocolate at about 23%. Fuel sales have also plummeted. He says there are more €5 and €10 notes in circulation.
“The last time I saw so many fivers and tenners was 2008-10. I reckon people have been putting away rainy day money and that day has arrived. People are being careful. Money is tight and there’s no spare cash for luxuries.”
No demand for chicken fillet or
breakfast rolls
Despite being by-passed, Mountrath still has a big passing trade says Ann Martyn who with her husband John owns the local Centra supermarket.
Ann Martyn runs the Centra store in Mountrath, Co Laois, alongside her husband.
Her parents Tom and Anna May started the business in the 1950s and since then it’s moved location and been revamped three times.
“Our third revamp was just last summer,” says Ann. “We’ve taken out three fridge units and replaced them with grocery shelves. Nobody is buying coffee or stocking up at the deli counter.
“There’s no demand for chicken fillet or breakfast rolls. Children are not coming in so there are no impulse buys from grandparents. Lottery sales are hit as is the ATM. People just aren’t spending,” she says.
On a positive note she has to drip feed flour as home baking has taken off and Dettol and liquid soap are popular sellers.
‘Click and collect’ proving popular
Ann has a “click and collect” service where customers can text a dedicated phone number with their order.
“It’s proving really popular and Mairead (another staff member) is on the phone full time. It’s nice to drive into someone’s yard and get a big wave from them. You feel you are doing good.”
Ann Martyn and her staff are keeping the shelves stacked in Mountrath, Co Laois.
Ann also has the post office and is also operating an every-second-week payment policy so as to make things easier for social distancing. She opens earlier for older people and has no crowd control issues. The shop is well laid out with green lines for social distancing which people are respecting.
“We have a great staff who have stood by us and that means an awful lot,” says Ann.
‘It was like a fog-horn going off’
Jim Bird has stores in Athboy, Bollivor and Navan covering Daybreak, Centra and SuperValu.
Jim Bird with stores in Athboy, Bollivor and Navan, Co Meath, installed hot water sensor taps and sinks to encourage people to be careful about hand hygiene.
“It all kicked off with us on 12 March when we sold out some of the staples for the first time in ages.
“Then when Leo Varadaker made his announcement it was like a fog horn going off and panic buying started in earnest. But once people saw that our shelves stayed stocked, it died down,” says Jim.
He says canned goods and pasta sales took off like a rocket.
“I had to ration flour but that’s eased off now. I can’t get dried yeast and bun cases are hard to get because of all the kid’s learning how to bake.
“Fresh produce is selling well but the deli trade has suffered with no one out at work. The Lotto is well down too.”
Sinks and hot water
“There was some irritation at the new rules but people have come to terms with it all. We marked the two-metre distances and put up Perspex sheets to protect our staff.
“We had sanitiser at the door, but some people weren’t using it so we put in sinks with sensor taps and hot water. My first thought was for our staff because if they fell ill we were in trouble.”
Jim is working with the GAA to get deliveries out to vulnerable people. “People have really taken to this and we are flat out filling orders so much so that we are looking to take on 10 extra staff.”
Jim closes an hour earlier as he found people were coming in for a stroll around and a chat and opens later at 9am to allow staff stock up.
He closed on Easter Sunday for the first time ever. “We really appreciate our customers, but to be honest we all needed a break.”
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My Country Living: 'I'll carry on making my work about agriculture'
Free online courses for co-op members
The Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association (CSNA) has about 1,500 members nationwide, making it Ireland’s largest independent retailer representative body. Because of COVID-19, its members have transformed how they do business almost overnight.
Many are offering telephone and online ordering to enable collection. Or they are running a ‘beep and boot’ drop service as well as dedicated delivery services so that their customers receive the supplies they need.
People are coming to us who would normally shop in the big multiples
They have also invested in protective measures for their customers and staff who are on the front line against COVID-19. Most importantly of all they are keeping their shelves stacked with the produce their customers really need.
Peter Gaughan owns the SPAR supermarket in Balla, Co Mayo, and he says footfall is up. “People are coming to us who would normally shop in the big multiples. Here, there are no long queues and people are buying more.”
Peter says there’s been no panic buying and he didn’t even run out of flour. “Grocery sales are well up, as are off-licence sales and cleaning products but the deli, confectionary, ice cream and coffee trade is shot to pieces.
While we are very happy about the grocery trade, it’s low-margin when compared to these
“We have no school trade, there’s no passing trade, and builders aren’t working so there’s no one looking for filled rolls and hot food. While we are very happy about the grocery trade, it’s low-margin when compared to these.”
People have bought into the social distancing rules and are respectful of each other says Peter.
Some people are wearing gloves and masks and it’s amazing how this is the new normal
“They are all worried about the virus. We put down markers to guide them and everyone is careful about obeying the rules. Some people are wearing gloves and masks and it’s amazing how this is the new normal.”
Keeping his staff safe was a key priority for Peter and he put big screens around the tills from early on and that eased their concerns. Sanitiser and gloves are available to staff and customers.
‘Beep and boot’
Peter also runs the local post office and he’s operating a system where pensions and disability payments are paid one week with social welfare payments made the following week. It helps with social distancing.
People are dialling in grocery orders and mostly he can do same-day delivery.
“We also do ‘beep and boot’ where if someone rings in an order we can have it ready in 90 minutes. They arrive at the door, beep the horn and we will put their order in their boot. We take payment over the phone or they can tap their card.”
The hours are long but all of us working here have a great sense of pride that we are helping people
Peter says while the older age group are managing well, they are scared.
“There’s one house I deliver to where the elderly couple won’t even handle their change.” Peter hasn’t had a break since this started.
“The hours are long but all of us working here have a great sense of pride that we are helping people in what are very difficult times.”
Over 120 years in business
Shop keeping runs in the veins of Denis O’Flynn as he continues a family business that was established in 1894.
His MACE shop and post office is in Lady’s Bridge on the Middleton to Youghal road in Co Cork. It’s a rural area with old established families, retired couples as well as young families newly located to the area.
Denis O'Flynn whose family have been running a store in Lady's Bridge, Co Cork, since 1894.
Denis is helping older people with a delivery run in the mornings.
“We’ve about 14 people on the run. Cornflakes, milk and Ireland’s Own are very popular. Half of them even buy the Farmers Journal.”
While the daily run is new, Denis’s dad started a Saturday delivery way back in 1954 and some of those customers still take deliveries.
‘So I can see you’
“I ‘drop and go’ and usually leave the messages at the front door. I got a call from one man who asked me to come to the back door and when I asked why he said, ‘So I can see you’. I thought it was so sad I nearly cried. Now we have an auld (distanced) chat when I call.”
We only allow six customers at a time and they respect this
Denis says people are very good about obeying the rules. He made the till screens himself and they are a comfort to his staff. Hand sanitiser is freely available.
“We only allow six customers at a time and they respect this. The shelves are full and with the exception of flour we’ve not run out of anything. I now ration the flour.”
The last time I saw so many fivers and tenners was 2008-10
Grocery sales are good but are low-margin when compared with minerals at 22% and chocolate at about 23%. Fuel sales have also plummeted. He says there are more €5 and €10 notes in circulation.
“The last time I saw so many fivers and tenners was 2008-10. I reckon people have been putting away rainy day money and that day has arrived. People are being careful. Money is tight and there’s no spare cash for luxuries.”
No demand for chicken fillet or
breakfast rolls
Despite being by-passed, Mountrath still has a big passing trade says Ann Martyn who with her husband John owns the local Centra supermarket.
Ann Martyn runs the Centra store in Mountrath, Co Laois, alongside her husband.
Her parents Tom and Anna May started the business in the 1950s and since then it’s moved location and been revamped three times.
“Our third revamp was just last summer,” says Ann. “We’ve taken out three fridge units and replaced them with grocery shelves. Nobody is buying coffee or stocking up at the deli counter.
“There’s no demand for chicken fillet or breakfast rolls. Children are not coming in so there are no impulse buys from grandparents. Lottery sales are hit as is the ATM. People just aren’t spending,” she says.
On a positive note she has to drip feed flour as home baking has taken off and Dettol and liquid soap are popular sellers.
‘Click and collect’ proving popular
Ann has a “click and collect” service where customers can text a dedicated phone number with their order.
“It’s proving really popular and Mairead (another staff member) is on the phone full time. It’s nice to drive into someone’s yard and get a big wave from them. You feel you are doing good.”
Ann Martyn and her staff are keeping the shelves stacked in Mountrath, Co Laois.
Ann also has the post office and is also operating an every-second-week payment policy so as to make things easier for social distancing. She opens earlier for older people and has no crowd control issues. The shop is well laid out with green lines for social distancing which people are respecting.
“We have a great staff who have stood by us and that means an awful lot,” says Ann.
‘It was like a fog-horn going off’
Jim Bird has stores in Athboy, Bollivor and Navan covering Daybreak, Centra and SuperValu.
Jim Bird with stores in Athboy, Bollivor and Navan, Co Meath, installed hot water sensor taps and sinks to encourage people to be careful about hand hygiene.
“It all kicked off with us on 12 March when we sold out some of the staples for the first time in ages.
“Then when Leo Varadaker made his announcement it was like a fog horn going off and panic buying started in earnest. But once people saw that our shelves stayed stocked, it died down,” says Jim.
He says canned goods and pasta sales took off like a rocket.
“I had to ration flour but that’s eased off now. I can’t get dried yeast and bun cases are hard to get because of all the kid’s learning how to bake.
“Fresh produce is selling well but the deli trade has suffered with no one out at work. The Lotto is well down too.”
Sinks and hot water
“There was some irritation at the new rules but people have come to terms with it all. We marked the two-metre distances and put up Perspex sheets to protect our staff.
“We had sanitiser at the door, but some people weren’t using it so we put in sinks with sensor taps and hot water. My first thought was for our staff because if they fell ill we were in trouble.”
Jim is working with the GAA to get deliveries out to vulnerable people. “People have really taken to this and we are flat out filling orders so much so that we are looking to take on 10 extra staff.”
Jim closes an hour earlier as he found people were coming in for a stroll around and a chat and opens later at 9am to allow staff stock up.
He closed on Easter Sunday for the first time ever. “We really appreciate our customers, but to be honest we all needed a break.”
Read more
My Country Living: 'I'll carry on making my work about agriculture'
Free online courses for co-op members
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