Irish retailers call for ‘fair playing field’

Irish retailers call for ‘fair playing field’

 

Irish retailers ‘feel it is not a fair playing field’ having to compete with regulation-ignoring ‘distant sellers’ such as Temu and Shein, according to retail expert Jean McCabe.

The CEO of Retail Excellence Ireland said she is ‘100 per cent’ behind calls to introduce a levy on small items imported from China.

Ms McCabe told Extra.ie: ‘Distant sellers don’t have to oblige by the same rules and regulations as Irish retailers, so they get to sell into the Irish market, but get to ignore all the regulation around the retail sector, whereas every other retailer has to abide by them.’

She said a percentage of sales or a €5 flat fee would be a ‘deterrent for that mass influx of products that we are seeing and would be welcomed by Irish retailers’.

‘Even outside of the area of fashion, there is a big issue in other product categories, like homeware and kitchen utensils that are also being sold into the Irish market from China directly.

‘They don’t necessarily have to apply any of the same regulations that retailers have to have here. So those distant sellers have a significant advantage being able to ignore that red tape.’