Darrers Stores was a department store and supermarket brand with outlets in Waterford, Dungarvan, Tramore and Carlow, in Ireland.[1] The chain operated as both a grocers and drapers,[2] and is believed to be one of the first Irish stores to introduce a free plastic shopping bag.[3]
William Desmond "Des" Darrer first opened a store in partnership with Ben Dunne in Cork known as Dunnes Stores in 1944.[4][5]
The stores in Dungarvan and Carlow closed in 2007 when the company was dissolved in June that year. It followed the closure of the Waterford store in 1995.[3]
Darrers was reputedly one of the first stores to introduce the concept of a free plastic shopping bag.[3] In some parts of Waterford and Carlow, "Darrers Bag" became a synonym for "plastic shopping bag",[7] and retained meme status following the store's closure.[8]
