Online is 'killing' local retail sector
Online shopping and the lack of housing in rural Galway is killing retailers whose exodus will create a trail of ghost towns across the county.
That was the stark warning from Gort Councillor Gerry Finnerty who believes there is an urgent need for a significant tax to be levied on online shopping companies and for planning regulations to be relaxed to allow empty buildings in town centres to be easily converted for commercial or residential use.
If people do not move back in and reverse their depopulation, small businesses will simply shut up shop, he argues.
The Fianna Fáil representative has been a long-time critic of Galway County Council for not doing enough in response to the stagnation in rural towns. He first proposed free parking in large towns in the lead-up to Christmas to encourage people to shop locally.
The proposal was watered down to only allow free shopping on the first three Saturdays of December.
“Online shopping is crucifying retailers. The owners are telling me they’re a showroom more than anything else. People are picking it out, trying it on and putting it on their phones before going home to buy it online. I can’t understand why there’s no tax on this sector – it should be in the order of 40-50%,” he stated.
“Shops are contributing to their local area, paying rates, providing employment. I’m not trying to take away people’s right to buy reasonably but we can’t close down the whole economy.”
He said Gort was beset with vacant buildings yet there was a severe shortage of housing.
This is a preview only. To read the rest of the extensive article on retail across the county, see this week's Connacht Tribune.