‘I feel like I am home’: Douglas Village shopping centre reopens
IRISH EXAMINER: THU, 12 NOV, 2020
‘Shop local’ is the message from Douglas Village traders today, as the benighted shopping centre reopens a year and three months after a fire tore through the building’s car park, rendering the structure unstable and leaving the traders locked out of their shops.
Due to the level five Covid-19 restrictions, not all of the shops in the centre are permitted to reopen today.
However, Tesco lifted the shutters today and Bank of Ireland will reopen on Monday.
Tesco invested €1.5 million in the refurbishment of the Douglas store and in making improvements to other Cork stores this year.
30 new jobs have also been created in the Douglas shop, and 100 employees who worked there prior to the fire will return.
“We are thrilled to reopen our store at Douglas Shopping Centre today. Reopening under Level 5 restrictions is certainly a very different event than we might have planned, I’m delighted to say we’ve been able to deliver a safe and easy experience for our returning customers,” said Dermot Hever, the store’s manager.
“I must commend and thank our colleagues who were temporarily re-deployed to our sister stores in Cork, and I know they’re all delighted to be back in the Douglas store serving the customers they know so well.
“We’re also very thankful to our customers for their patience and support as we all work to respond to Covid-19.”
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ARTICLE: AINE KENNY
PHOTO: EDDIE O’HARE