Footfall on some of Dublin's main shopping streets is still nearly 30% below the level before the recession, according to figures recorded by specialist cameras.
Historic comparisons show a steep drop after 2007 followed by a stablisation and an uneven recovery from 2011.
O'Connell Street and Henry Street were around 29% down in 2016 compared to 2007, while Grafton Street was down 17%.
The figures, gathered by the British company Springboard, have been distributed by business representative group Dublintown since 2010.
These more recent figures have been compared with older statistics available on data.gov.ie.
Traders and their representative groups blame online shopping, traffic restrictions in the city and the growth in out-of-town centres for the drop.
Retailers like Mary Costelloe of Costelloe and Costelloe near Grafton Street also say the Luas works have not helped.
The on-street construction was accompanied by an extension of the bus gate involving a ban on private cars to 12 hours a day in College Green in 2015.
Ms Costelloe says "things are very quiet and they shouldn't be.
"I know there are people struggling badly at the moment."
John McCartney, Director of research at Savills, says that the country still has around 125,000 fewer jobs than it did before the recession.
The economy lost approximately 345,000 jobs between 2007 and 2012 and only 220,000 have subsequently been created.
Mr McCartney said this loss of worker numbers and different commuting patterns could account for some of the lower footfall.
Lorraine Higgins of Retail Excellence, which represents traders around the country, says consumer sentiment is down recently with Brexit, and consumers have less money because of the increasing cost of rent.
But she says online shopping is one big factor. Foreign businesses are taking 70% of all online sales in Ireland, or €14 million every day.
However, some areas are showing an increase, with footfall on O'Connell Street up nearly 9% so far this year, possibly as a result of a Penneys store reopening.
Business groups like Dublin Chamber are hoping that the beginning of the Cross City Luas services will bring more people into the city centre.
