Retail Issues

Shop Hours

Shops Trading Hours and Other Legal Considerations The Shops (Hours of Trading) Act, 1938 regulates shop opening times. The legislation is largely inoperative because the requisite orders that may be made under it are not in force or in other cases, orders have been made which restrict the application of the Act.… Read the rest

Public Markets

Common Law Markets and Fairs There continue to exist ancient common law rights to hold a market. The right is a franchise which permits the holding of a market of buyers and sellers of the goods to which the market relates.… Read the rest

Price Display

EU Regulations on Price Display The European Communities (Requirement to Indicate Product Prices) Regulations give effect to an EU Directive on consumer protection in the indication of the prices of products offered to consumers. The Regulations apply to most products offered for sale by traders to consumers.… Read the rest

Packaging & Quantity

Packaged Goods The Packaged Goods Quantity Control Act and the regulations under it prescribe the packages to which the quantity control system applies. They cover those made otherwise than in the presence of the purchaser and in a manner that none of the contents can be removed without opening the package; have been made up in a predetermined constant quantity; and/or marked with a quantity of contents in units of weight or volume.… Read the rest

Measurement

Background; Weight The Weights and Measures Act 1878 had laid down the Pound and the Yard measure as the fundamental units of length and of weight. The Imperial Standard Yard and Imperial Standard Weight provided the benchmark from which all other denominations of weight and measure were derived. … Read the rest

Legal Metrology

NSAI; National Metrology Laboratory Measurement functions at National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI) are split across two divisions within NSAI; Legal Metrology and National Metrology Laboratory. The National Metrology Laboratory maintains, establishes, and develops the Irish National Measurement Standards for physical quantities. … Read the rest

Labelling

Foodstuffs Labelling A 2011 EU regulation merged directives on the labelling of foodstuff and nutrition labelling, in order to improve the level of consumer information and protection. The regulation applies to all food business operators at all stages of the food chain. … Read the rest

Casual Trading

Casual Trading Casual trading areas are designated by bye-laws made by the local authority. Casual selling means selling goods at a place including a public road, to which the public has access as of right or any other place that is a casual trading area. … Read the rest

Atypical Traders

Occasional Trading Occasional trading means selling goods by retail at a premises or place not being a public road to which persons have a right of access where the persons doing so has been in occupation for less than three months.… Read the rest