‘There are sleepless nights worrying about how we’ll pay these increases’ – Joy meets despair amid upcoming minimum wage hikes

While shop staff feel they are finally getting long-overdue improved conditions, small retailers fear being driven to the brink

Some 160 workers laid off from supermarket chain Iceland this year and almost 600 jobs lost when Argos announced it would withdraw from the Republic of Ireland. Getty Images (montage)

Paul O'Donoghue

Despite being hailed as essential during Covid times, post-pandemic retail roles are still often synonymous with poor pay and worse conditions.

Odd hours, weekend work and minimum wage are some of the factors which regularly come to mind when thinking of the sector.