Our thinking

Take (the blues) away

6 November, 2020

So, lockdown 2.0, the winter edition, is now upon us.

Whilst many of us are anticipating another tough period of having to stay indoors, this time it’s different – and, if you don’t believe us, this article is proof of what’s to come and may make you chuckle. But, aside from the winter weather making the ‘FOMO’ more bearable, and that we now have a better idea of what to expect, what’s also changed is that many businesses have been allowed to stay open this time around (albeit with restrictions, of course).

Last time’s blanket closure of non-essential shops was hard to take but hospitality venues, in particular, are better set-up this time and many, if not most, are likely to continue to operate without interruption – albeit without the buzz a busy restaurant or cosy café gives you. This means you can still take a trip to your favourite coffee shop or restaurant to grab a latte or your favourite dish to reheat at home. And your local bookshop or other non-essential retailer is almost certainly offering a click and collect service this time round, meaning you can get out of the house, get your daily exercise and keep them going.

So, when the appeal of the sofa starts to wane, don’t assume the only solution is to reach for your phone and order what you need through the massive online retailers. Fight the winter lockdown blues and help local businesses get through it too. With roughly 500,000 shops, restaurants and pubs shutting, and a predicted 80% drop in shopper numbers in November, they’re going to need it!

Get out to the shops, cafés and restaurants where you safely can. In Ireland, the “#adoptashop” (actually, three shops) campaign is gaining ground, with people being encouraged to identify, celebrate and actively support three independent local shops each that they commit to actively supporting during the weeks ahead. So, we will be doing the same, picking our favourite local retailers and making sure that we channel some of our spending in their direction over the next four weeks.

By Cara McEvoy