‘It has been a tough enough year but it is good to be back’
By Maurice Garvey
FINALLY after another prolonged absence, non-essential retail re-opened on Monday, and for the small businesses involved, it is good to be back.
However, a recurring theme amongst retailers The Echo spoke to, is a major concern at the damaging impact of being closed for most of the last 15 months, albeit they are hopeful that the remaining months of 2021 will restore some balance to their businesses.
Jay Miley of Max Music and Danni Nolan
“Absolutely hectic this morning,” said Anthony Maher, manager at the Trustus charity shop the Magpie’s Nest, in Village Green, Tallaght.
“We have been getting a lot of donations and sales. A lot of our customers are coming back in. In a charity shop, you get to know your customers, we have great local support here. Anything that comes in here, goes back into services.”
Mr Maher, like many of the other ‘non-essential’ stores, was at the premises last week to give it a thorough preparation before re-opening to the public.
“There was a bit of sorting out to do, a deep clean. The people in Tallaght have been fantastic. They are 100 per cent behind us, which is lovely to see.”
David Healy, owner of communion, christening and school wear, The Sisters, in Village Green was “delighted to be back”.
The Magpies Nest at the Trustus Charity shop
“We had a couple of queries about communions this morning. Some of last year’s communions are taking place mid-summer and this year’s was pushed back to Autumn, so hopefully, it will pick up as the year goes on.”
Around the corner at Zip & Stitch, the sewing, alterations and dry-cleaning business was deemed essential, but cancelled events have hit hard.
“It was mad busy until Covid-19,” said Sahim Ahmadi, owner of Zip & Stitch.
The Sisters in Tallaght Village
“A lot of communions were cancelled but hopefully a number of them will be back on this year.”
Mr Ahmadi, an Afghanistan native and Irish citizen, established the village business in 2013, but had to move to a bigger premises down the road, next door to John Glynn Solicitors, to cater for demand.
“We make facemasks here, and were recognised in the Tallaght Person of the Year awards 2020,” said Mr Ahmadi, proudly pointing to the certificate on the wall in the store.
Coby Jewellers’s in Clondalkin Village
At the Ballyfermot Village salon Rum Toffee, which re-opened on May 10, owner Lynda Robinson Hogan, said everything is done by appointment now, and they were fully booked up for the first two weeks back in business.
“We got used to social distancing the last time and are able to manage with all the other stuff. It literally flows now,” she said.
Meanwhile, over in Clondalkin Village, family business Coby Jewellers were happy to see many of their customers had waited for them to re-open.
“We have a backlog of repairs, watch straps, batteries, that would be our specialty,” said owner Philip Coby, who started the business in 1982, which he manages with wife Christine and son Philip Junior.
“It has been a tough enough year but it is good to be back. Once the vaccine kicks in, people will have more confidence.”
Across the road at Max Music Store, owner Jay Miley picked the perfect time to open his business – March 2020.
Sahim Ahmadi, owner of Zip &Stitch
“Yeah, we were just starting when everything kicked off,” he laughed.
“We tried click and collect, and have just developed a new website maxmusicstore.online.”
A Clondalkin resident, Jay has been involved in the local music scene for over 20 years, including organising live shows at pubs, and setting up kids musical performances at the Clondalkin Festival.
Max Music sell equipment and provide affordable music lessons to students in the wider community.
“Right now we are just doing one-to-one lessons, piano, guitar, drums etc, it is all we can do at the moment,” said Jay.
“Maybe it will lift someday, and we can get kids back into bands.”
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