Calls are being made for more supports to be provided for small independent retailers in the city centre.
It comes as Wild Design - an award winning Irish design store in Paul Street Shopping Centre - is to close it's doors tomorrow for the final time.
Owner Bronwyn Connolly says she has been finding it tough to operate in the city centre and that combined with a drop in footfall meant her store just didn't bounce back after Covid.
The shop has been operating in the city since 2017 and while she says the experience overall has been very positive the last six months have been difficult with rising costs.
Speaking to RedFM News Bronwyn Connolly of Wild Design says several initiatives are needed to help support city centre business owners:
"I think that there needs to be a bit more support from the City Council and there needs to be encouragement to get independent retail into the city center. I think that that can be done quite simply by a collaboration with landlords and with the City Council by saying 'Listen, we'll give you three months half rate and just to see if it actually works for a business. Cork is a beautiful city and I think it has loads of potential but it just needs a little bit more support for the independent retailers".
