Shoppers and retailers were as confused as stores after the Garda crackdown on ‘non-essential’ retail items over the weekend.

Under the new rules, which were introduced on October 22, people will be able to go to the grocery store to buy groceries, including food, beverages, fuel, products, pharmaceuticals, animal health and well-being items, or home care supplies.

According to Level 5 regulations, “retailers with mixed retail offers with specific areas for essential and essential retail sales must make arrangements to demarcate relevant areas.”

However, the new rules do not specify whether clothing is mandatory.

Items that shoppers have been told not to buy include baby groceries, underwear and winter gloves.

When Isabel Keane tried to raise a baby at Dunnas in Carigalin, Cork, she found that all her clothes had been torn apart. Ms Keane, who is pregnant, described her frustration at the change.

“Being honest is really frustrating. I’ll end in February, so I wanted to take a few bits along the way. I understand you can buy stuff online. But this is different in newborn baby stuff. You want clothes to have a look. ”

There is unrest on social media with confused shoppers.

Sandra O’Meara from Cork tweeted: “Don’t you think shoes, socks, underwear and baby clothes are essential? I can have a coffee at Costa, I can drive through McDonald’s, but I can not buy shoes because I do not need them.

Don’t you think shoes, socks, underwear and baby clothes are essential? I can have a coffee at Costa, I can run through McDonald’s, but I can not buy shoes because I do not need them. But this morning at Dunnas I had candles, a bedside locker, and a

– Sandra O Meera (meara_sandra) October 25, 2020

“But this morning at Dunnas I could buy candles, a bedside locker, and even a Christmas tree, but I could not buy socks, shoes or underwear. I really need the logic explained here. But I can order any of them online and store them in the in-store. I am very confused, ”she tweeted

A spokesman for Retail Excellence, Ireland’s largest retail body, confirmed that the lack of an accurate list was “confusing”, while a Garda spokesman said it was conducting inspections on businesses and services. Explain and Encourage “Enforcement comes as a last resort.

A spokesman for Tesco Ireland confirmed that it had stopped selling most of the garments, among other things.

She said: “We have complied with government guidelines and closed our F&F clothing and home entertainment units across the country. We will continue to offer a very limited range of essential clothing items exclusively to users, for example school clothes and some baby clothes. ”