Shops rallied today as panic buyers confiscated clothing, toys and other items before the country closed for six weeks on Wednesday night.

Wind, rain and traffic jams did little to deter decisive shoppers.

Penny, Smith, and H&M were seen stocking up on the new rules, which closed until December, while others panicked and bought toilet rolls and other household items before the lockdown began.

Mummy-to-Wilmont Petroskas told the Irish Mirror that he was standing in line for Pennys in Nutgrove, Dublin.

She said: “I do not expect another lockdown, but I want to do it.

“My kids went back to school and I wanted to make sure they had enough warm clothes as the weather got colder.

“I’ve already taken a lot of things, but I wanted to make one last trip to the Peninsula before it was over.”

“We usually go to a Halloween party with our group of friends every year, but we zoom in because of restrictions,” said shoppers looking for some last-minute items in Dublin’s Dundram.

“We want to go out and get the final bits to make our clothes, and we try to do local shopping wherever we can.
“DIY’s bit helps keep us busy.”

A staff member at Penny at the Nutgrove Shopping Center said it was “absolutely mental” and that they were struggling to handle the queue.

She added: “It’s psychological, people buy everything they can steal.

“The company was great for us when we last closed, so I’m not too worried about money, but I know a lot of other people are not lucky.”

Mikey Rogan said he was taking the last few things for Halloween.

He said: “Kids still go out and cheat or treat us in our area, and we want to have enough sweets to make sure everyone gets something.

“This is a difficult year for the children, so we are preparing more decorations this year as well.”

For others, it was about making sure they kept to themselves.

Kieran McVeigh, who was waiting outside Regal Barbers in Kimmez, said: “Last time I went all the way down the lock without getting a haircut, I can’t do it again.

“I don’t want to worry about it until December and I want it to be the last chance to sort it out.”

Meanwhile, supermarket giant Aldi has set a limit on the number of Christmas toys customers can buy.

Their Christmas SpecialBuys toy range will go on sale tomorrow, and consumers will limit their purchases to one of the few toys on sale to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to snatch items.

A dedicated store marshal was assigned to each Aldi store to manage a ticketing system and to ensure that customer columns were in order and strictly adhered to.

Audi Group Managing Director Niall O’Connor said: “Our Christmas specialbus toy range always offers exceptional value and price.

“Establishing a ticketing system will ensure that offers are made available to as many shoppers as possible while doing so while shopping in a safe environment.

“Safety of our staff and customers is our number one priority while in our stores. We maintain a number of security measures throughout our 144 stores.”

At Smiths, a toy store, panicked shopkeepers snatched children’s toys in an attempt to get to the top of a Christmas shopping area before the store closed last night.

Smiths has confirmed that it is ready to tackle moving online for six weeks, despite concerns that stock levels could fall online.

A spokesman said: “We have good stocks and more are arriving each week.

“Click and Collect, Online and Home Delivery Available.”