Numbers were down 15pc in the first week of February compared to last year, according to a report for the business organisation DublinTown.
This is the continuation of a long-term slump, as the numbers are down over 36pc compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic.
O’Connell Street is particularly affected, with the footfall count outside both Clery’s and Eason’s stores showing dramatic declines.
Around 136,990 people were recorded passing Eason’s in the first week of February, which is down 21pc year-on-year. In the last week of January, the figure was 120,916, which was down over 31pc on the same week in 2025 and over 56pc on the same week in 2019.
Three years ago, An Post moved its headquarters from the nearby GPO, where about 950 employees had been working.
Arnold Dillon, director of the Ibec lobby group Retail Ireland, said the rise in home working is the main reason for footfall decline, with fewer people travelling into Dublin city centre, particularly on Mondays and Fridays.
“We are seeing activity shift to other times – Thursday evenings and weekends are often busier than pre-pandemic levels, with higher average transaction values,” he said. “People may visit less frequently, but when they do, they tend to spend more time and money, combining retail with hospitality and leisure.”
Mr Dillon pointed out bad weather always keeps shoppers at home and Storm Chandra in January plus persistent rain since the start of February has had that effect.
“When we see yellow and orange weather warnings, footfall takes an immediate hit as consumers defer non-essential trips. These drops are usually temporary. We typically see a bounce back once conditions improve,” he said.
Stephen Watkins, the managing director of Boots Ireland, has noticed a difference in evening-time shopping patterns, particularly in the winter, with people going home much earlier than they used to.
“Certainly before the riots [of November 2023], they would have stayed out longer, probably got something to eat and then shopped until the end of trade,” he said. “Now, what you find is that at half-four or five, people will start to migrate out. We’ve definitely seen a change in dynamic.”
The total number of visitors to Dublin city centre this year stood at 9.7m on February 8, which was almost 7pc down on the same time last year.
The slump is most noticeable on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays
The biggest decline in the first week of February was on South William Street, which was down 54pc on the same week in 2025 and by 63pc on the same week in 2019.
The comparison between footfall figures now and pre-Covid shows Saturday and Sunday are only down slightly, usually by about 3pc. The slump is most noticeable on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The decline on Wednesdays is less pronounced.
Mr Dillon does not believe Dublin has become less attractive as a shopping destination, but said it is competing with suburban centres as well as online.
“We continue to see major international brands opening flagship stores in the capital and vacancy rates on prime streets remain exceptionally low,” he said.
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