The representative body for the retail sector claims upwards only rents are leading to thousands of job losses.
Ennis based Retail Excellence Ireland says fifty-five thousand positions have been lost as a result of difficult trading conditions in the retail sector, including the refusal by some landlords to negotiate rents
New figures from the organisation out today show that retail sales fell by 30 per cent between 2009 and 2011, but rental costs were reduced by just less than 4 per cent.
The stores surveyed paid an average of nearly 160-thousand euro a year in rent, while reductions over the three years averaged 6-thousand 300 euro per year.
David Fitzsimons is the Chief Executive of Ennis based Retail Excellence Ireland – he says the government must act to abolish upward-only rents, or businesses will fail.
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