As Ireland moves into Phase 2 of reopening the economy following the pandemic, one national institution will open its doors from next Friday.
We are, of course, talking about Penneys and sure enough, it was all anybody could talk about on Twitter yesterday evening. In fact, #Penneys trended across Irish Twitter for several hours with people expressing disproportionate joy, dismay, or disbelief about it reopening.
God help Mary Street Penneys when it opens it’ll literally be WWE Royal Rumble the Karen special
— Colin Fitz ✨ (@_colinfitz) June 6, 2020
Not every Penneys will reopen on Friday, June 12th. Dublin's Mary Street and O'Connell Street, Dun Laoghaire, Wexford, Sligo, Kilkenny, Limerick, Drogheda, Newbridge, Waterford, Tralee, Cork, Clonmel, Swords, Ballina and Killarney are opening on that date.
However, outlets at Dundrum, Blanchardstown, Liffey Valley, Nutgrove, Santry, Artane, Navan, Mullingar, Portlaoise, Ennis, Dooradoyle, Letterkenny, Galway Shopping Centre, Galway Eyre Square, Longford, Castlebar, Athlone, Dundalk Marshes, and Wilton will not open until Monday, June 15th.
huns of ireland all about to flock to penneys like quasimodo making a break for the festival of fools
— C A T (she/her) (@magicgoeshere) June 6, 2020
Cannot get over the hype around #Penneys re-opening. We were only in lockdown for about 2 months lads...its not like we have lived through 6 years of rationing during WW2! 😯
— Ann Marie (Sheerin) Part (@PartAnnMarie) June 6, 2020
What's more, the shop will dramatically change its layout and some of its practices to keep with social distancing guidelines. Changing rooms will be closed, all beauty concessions are closed as are testers from the health and beauty department.
Every second till in outlets will be closed for more space between staff and shoppers, while customer toilets and cafes inside outlets will also be closed, as well as strict limits put on the number of shoppers in an outlet at any one time.
Still and all, with Penneys reopening next week, it's only a matter of time before cinemas reopen with the likelihood being it'll be the middle of July if not sooner before that happens.
