Ireland has received a lockdown shopping Brexit boost as JD Sports hopes to open a new Dublin warehouse.
The UK sportswear retailer said the warehouse will be in operation from the second half of the year fulfilling its busy online orders for Irish customers.
The company has forecast profit growth for 2021 and is ramping up its warehouse capacity in the hope of minimising any Brexit disruptions.
Executive chairman Peter Cowgill said: "The global Covid-19 pandemic and, more recently, the UK's formal exit from the European Union have presented a series of unprecedented challenges which have severely tested all aspects of our business."
The first hints of a reopening date and a timeline for non-essential retail outlets is looking likely to be sometime in May - that's if public health guidelines are continued to be followed.
Government spokesperson Liz Canavan said that "thankfully we are through winter now" and promised better days ahead.
Mrs Canavan said: "It’s a time of renewal, and we must now renew our determination to beat this disease and get back to normality. The next days and weeks are crucial in our fight and as we escalate our vaccination programme we must trust in the measures we have followed to this point.
"Thank you for all you are doing, it’s because of your adherence to the tough measures in place that we can now begin to look at reopening the country but we still have some distance to go. Every step we take, we must take carefully, but there are brighter days ahead."
And Canavan promised that if Ireland continues to suppress the virus, the reopening of retail will be one of the things considered in May.
She added: "If we can hold firm for a little bit longer and if the health situation allows, further easing of restrictions will be considered from 4 May. Areas being considered are:
- full reopening of construction
- phased return of non-essential retail commencing with click and collect and outdoor retail, for example: garden centres/nurseries
- recommencement of personal services on a staggered basis
- reopening of museums, galleries and libraries
recommencement of religious services on a staggered basis
