STORMONT ministers are to have discussions with business representatives and staff from larger stores later today about trading during the pandemic.
The meeting comes after there was criticism that larger retailers were selling non-essential items whilst smaller stores could not.
Representatives from a number of large stores have been invited to take part.
They include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, ASDA, Lidl, IKEA and Marks and Spencer.
Earlier this week First Minister Arlene Foster said some larger firms had been behaving in a selfish way.
The discussions, involving the first and deputy first ministers, will also examine the issue of staffing practices, click and collect and the use of face coverings in stores.
On Thursday, 16 more deaths related to Covid-19 were reported by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, bringing its total to 1,533.
There have been 973 new cases diagnosed in the past 24 hours, while 58 Covid-19 patients are being treated in ICUs across the North of Ireland, of which 44 are on ventilators.
The North of Ireland is in the third week of a six-week lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.
The Executive is due to review the current restrictions next Thursday, January 21.
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