For many shops, it’s their most lucrative – and hectic – time of the year. From over-the-top window displays to last-minute shoppers and sell-out toys, staff at Ireland’s busiest retailers tell us what it’s really like
Darren Feeney, head of art direction at Brown Thomas on Grafton Street, alongside the Christmas window display he created. Photo: Mark Condren
It’s 2pm on a Thursday afternoon and Bríd Lanphier, who is store manager of Penneys on Mary Street, Dublin, has already hit her 10,000 steps. “Coming up to Christmas, we’d have our 10,000 done before 10am,” she tells me before taking a quick look at her smart watch. “Today I’ve 12,000 done so far.”
Working in retail over the festive season is full-on, says Lanphier, who has been with Penneys for the past 24 years. She’s on her feet for the better part of the day, working across three retail floors that span 95,700 sq ft. The night-pack team, who come in at 9pm to receive deliveries and unpack boxes, can clock in even more steps — up to 35,000 in one shift.
