💾 Archived View for eir.mooo.com › nuacht › lui172745641010.gmi captured on 2024-09-29 at 01:09:29. Gemini links have been rewritten to link to archived content
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Nick Rabbitts, 27 Sep
ALMOST two in every 10 commercial units across Limerick are shuttered,
a new survey has shown.
The latest GeoDirectory Commercial Vacancy report has revealed that
some 17.5% of commercial buildings across the city and county were
closed and out of use during June.
It represents a year-on-year increase, and highlights the continued
struggle of bricks and mortar retail against internet shopping.
IN PICTURES: All smiles at the Croom Community Development Association
Seniors Party
The twice-yearly analysis, carried out by financial firm EY found the
vacancy rate in Limerick was higher than the national average of 14.4%.
Almost a quarter of the commercial units in Newcastle West were
shuttered, according to the survey.
In the city centre, the vacancy rate stood at 19.4%.
Limerick is still behind the counties with the highest vacancy rates.
These are to be found in the north and west of Ireland, at Sligo,
Donegal and Galway.
At the other end of the scale, Meath, on Dublin’s commuter belt was the
county with the lowest commercial vacancy rate.
Indeed, the Royal County is the only one in Ireland with a vacancy rate
in single figures, at 9.8%.
In Dublin, the commercial vacancy rate was 13.3%, up marginally
year-on-year.
Ballybofey in Donegal was the town the highest commercial vacancy rate
in the state at 33.6%.
Dara Keogh, the chief executive of GeoDirectory, said: “The national
commercial vacancy rate has increased steadily in recent years, and at
14.4%, is now at the highest level since GeoDirectory began tracking
commercial vacancy data in 2013. Changing consumer habits, the growth
of online commerce, remote working and rising business costs have all
contributed to a realignment of the commercial property market.”
He said many units designed for commercial use may never return to this
purpose.
Annette Hughes, director at EY Economic Advisory, added: “Commercial
vacancy rates increased in 14 out of 26 counties surveyed, which
represents an improvement on the same period in June 2023, when vacancy
increases were recorded in 20 out of 26 counties. While the national
commercial vacancy rate has reached a new high of 14.4% in Q2 2024, the
economic outlook remains positive and with inflation falling and a
recent cut in ECB interest rates, there is a possibility that
commercial vacancy rates will recede from its current peak.”