Penneys will reopen its stores next Tuesday under new government guidance, with 24/7 operations at two locations.
As the Irish Examiner reports, the retailer will extend trading hours to cater for the higher customer demand expected ahead of Christmas.
The longer hours will help safely reduce queues by spreading shopping hours over a longer period.
Stores located in city centres and major shopping centres will stay open until 10pm while shops on main streets and in town shopping centres will trade until 9pm.
Two Dublin stores will operate for 24-hours. The Dundrum Town Centre and Blanchardstown Centre branches will open their doors at 7am on Tuesday, December 1st and will remain open until closing time on Wednesday, December 2nd.
All 36 stores will have extensive safety measures in place including social distancing protocols, limits on the number of customers allowed in store, hand sanitisation stations, Perspex screens or cubicles at tills, the use of face masks in-store and increased cleaning.
Safety measures
“We have everything this season that our customers expect from Penneys, including our famous Christmas jumpers, festive pyjamas and much, much more," said Penneys CEO, Paul Marchant.
“All of our extensive safety measures remain in place to help ensure shopping at Penneys is an enjoyable, safe experience for everyone."
Announcing the move to level 3 of the Covid-19 restrictions, the Government said non-essential shops and shopping centres could reopen with protective measures in place.
As well as wearing face masks when in stores and shopping centres, the public are advised to wear a mask in outdoor crowded spaces like busy shopping streets.