Category: Retail

SuperValu Blanchardstown’s Jamie Caffrey named National Grocery Retail Manager of the Year 2020

Posted on | by Editorial Team

Now in their 15th year, the ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards once again recognised individual management excellence in the grocery sector and honoured the talent in each department that make up our supermarkets and convenience stores.

While the standard of entrants was as high as ever, this year’s ceremony marked a break from tradition due to COVID-19. Broadcast virtually live from the RDS, the audience tuned in to watch MC, RTE’s Karina Buckley, announce the winners of the ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards. After a year like no other, the nation’s gratitude to our retailers was expressed by Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, who said “I wanted to congratulate you on your achievement but I also wanted to thank you…. I want you to know when we thank the frontline heroes throughout 2020, that includes the people working in grocery, that includes the people working in our petrol stations, in our convenience stores, in our supermarkets. The people who got up every morning and looked after us.”

The night’s biggest award, Supreme Champion for 2020 was awarded to Jamie Caffrey of SuperValu Blanchardstown with the judges praising Caffrey and her achievements, “Our winner has spent the last 18 months making the store more customer-friendly, more profitable and a more enjoyable place to work.” Excel Recruitment’s own Nikki Murran summed up Jamie as “a trailblazer in the world of grocery retail,” having started in the retail trade at only 16 and at only 23, having already been promoted to store manager.

Excel Recruitment is proud to be involved with the GMAs since the award’s beginning. We would like to thank everyone who entered the awards in what has been a strange and challenging year and say a huge congratulations to all 15 deserving winners.

Delicatessen / Food to Go Manager of the Year

Linda O’Sullivan,
Eurospar Cobh,
Co. Cork

Cash & Carry Manager of the Year

Tom Ryan,
Value Centre,
Hebron Road,
Co. Kilkenny

Off-Licence Manager

Shane McNulty,
SuperValu Ballinteer,
Dublin 16

Protein/Provisions Manager

Jason Mc Donagh,
SuperValu Lucan,
Co. Dublin

HR Manager of the Year

Carley Dennan,
SuperValu,
Blackrock,
Co. Dublin

Brand Marketing Team

Premier Lotteries

Small C-Store Manager of the Year

Rebecca Murphy,
Herlihy’s Centra Grand Parade,
Co.Cork

Medium C-Store Manager of the Year

Alan O’Donnell,
Daybreak Cahir,
Co. Tipperary

Large C-Store Manager of the Year

Briege O’Kane,
Top Oil Newhall,
Naas,
Co. Kildare

Small Forecourt Manager of the Year

David Martin,
Mace,
Glanmire,
Co. Cork

Large Forecourt Manager of the Year
Ian Leahy

Maxol Ballincollig,
Co. Cork

Supermarket Manager of the Year (Small)

Tanya McGarry,
Charlesland,
Greystones,
Co. Wicklow

Supermarket Manager of the Year (Mid-Large)

Doug Thompson,
SuperValu
Sundrive,
Dublin 6

Retail Team of the Year

Londis St. James Hospital, Dublin 8

Supreme Champion

Jamie Caffrey,
SuperValu,
Blanchardstown,
Dublin

Grocery Management Awards 2020 Shortlist

Posted on | by Editorial Team

We are excited to reveal the shortlisted nominees for the 2020 Shelflife Grocery Management Awards!

The ShelfLife Grocery Management Awards 2020 are now in their 15th year and Excel Recruitment is proud to have been involved since the beginning. Despite the uncertainty of this year, the team have adapted the judging process and ceremony to continue honouring the Irish grocery retail sector, in a year where the sector’s importance has been highlighted to everyone. As usual, the standard of entries was exceptionally high, showcasing the talent, creativity and diligence within grocery retail management.

This year’s Grocery Management Awards gala ceremony takes place on 10 December and will be broadcast live from the RDS in Dublin. Check out the list of shortlisted nominees below.

 

Retail Team of the Year 2020

Sponsored by BRANDHUB

XL Shop at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin 9
Daybreak Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Herlihys Centra, Fermoy, Co. Cork
SuperValu Castletroy, Limerick
Londis James Hospital, Dublin 8
SuperValu Walkinstown, Dublin 12
SuperValu Blackrock, Co. Dublin
SuperValu Northside, Dublin 17

Delicatessen/Food to Go Manager

Helen Taylor, Daybreak Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Eoin Crosbie, Crosbie’s Daybreak Irishtown, Athlone, Co Westmeath
Annah Yesayan, Herlihy’s Centra, Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork City
Zlata Vacova, Herlihy’s Centra Grand Parade, Cork City
Jason Plazo, Griffins Londis Grafton Street, Dublin 2
Tina Delaney, Daybreak, Portlaoise, Co. Laois
Aiden Sheahan, Corrib Oil Tralee, Co. Kerry
Claire Dineen, Daybreak Clerihan, Co. Tipperary
Lestor Valencia, Griffin’s Londis Carmnhall Rd., Sandyford, Dublin 18
Tomislav Dobrijevic, Griffins Londis, Parkwest, Dublin 12
Joe Canning, SuperValu Sundrive, Dublin 6
Linda O’Sullivan, Eurospar Cobh, Co. Cork
Aoife O Hara, Herlihy’s Patricks Street, Fermoy, Co. Cork

Cash & Carry Manager

Sponsored by BAT

Winner announced at the show

Off-Licence Manager of the Year

Sponsored by Bibendum Ireland

Shane McNulty, SuperValu Ballinteer, Dublin 16
Denise Cummins, Herlihy’s Centra, Patrick’s Street, Fermoy, Cork
Robert Mooney, SuperValu Sutton Cross, Dublin 13

Protein/Provisions Manager of the Year

Sponsored by EIQA

Dominic Kelleher, Herlihy’s Centra, Fermoy, Cork
Jason Mc Donagh, SuperValu Lucan, Co. Dublin
Alan Curley, SuperValu Sutton Cross, Dublin 13

HR Manager of the Year

Sponsored by Excel Recruitment

Louise Kelly, Asia Market, Ballymount, Dublin 12
Carley Dennan, SuperValu, Blackrock, Co. Dublin
Jessica Maher, SuperValu, Lucan, Co. Dublin
Susan Doherty, Kelly’s Centra, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Nichola Deere, Castletroy, Dublin Road, Co. Limerick
Janine McCormack, SuperValu, Sundrive, Dublin 12

C-Store Manager of the Year (Large)

Sponsored by PepsiCo

Sean Hennessy, Corrib Oil Tralee, Co. Kerry
Nick Ye, Londis DCU Glasnevin, Dublin 9
Martin Rodgers, Kelly’s Centra, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Briege O’Kane, Top Oil Newhall, Naas, Co. Kildare

C-Store Manager of the Year (Mid-Size)

Colum Browne, XL Clogheen, Co. Tipperary
Aivars Mezapuke, Spar Caple St, Dublin 1
Alan O’Donnell, Daybreak Cahir, Co. Tipperary
Grainne Keating, Scully’s XL Daingean, Co. Offaly
Dean Hand, Daybreak Clerihan, Co. Tipperary
Simon McCarthy, Londis Fonthill, Dublin 22
Ger Kelly, Delaneys Mace Tuam Road, Co. Galway
Deirdre Stoneham, Londis Top Oil, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford

C-Store Manager of the Year (Small)

Eoin Crosbie, Daybreak Rustic Castlerea, Co. Roscommon
Raj Kodali, Herlihy’s Centra Patrick Street, Cork
Martina Webb, Londis St James Hospital, Dublin 8
Lucia Fitzpatrick, Spar Rathangan, Co. Kildare
Tony Geelan, Geelan’s XL, Waddington, Cleariestown, Co.Wexford
Rebecca Murphy, Herlihy’s Centra Grand Parade, Co.Cork
Jane Mooney, Smyth’s Daybreak, Williamstown, Co. Galway
Abdullah Saghir, Griffin’s Londis, 49 Grafton Street, Dublin 2
Imran Ishfaq, Griffin’s Londis, 14/15 Lower O’Connell Street, Dublin 2
Christopher Lane, Hanrahan’s Londis, The Faythe, Wexford town, Co. Wexford
Liam O’Brien, Kernan’s XL, Drumboy, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal

Forecourt Manager of the Year (Large)

Sponsored by Seattle’s Best

Denise Farrell, Mace Headford, Co. Galway
Brian Joyce, The Galway Plaza, Athenry, Co. Galway
Ian Leahy, Herlihy’s Maxol Service Station, Ballincollig Co. Cork

Forecourt Manager of the Year (Small)

Sponsored by Seattle’s Best

Pedro Gamelas, Daybreak Castletownbere, Co. Cork
Kevin Forde, Daybreak Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Daniel Gherca, Daybreak Ballinalack, Co. Westmeath
Matthew Monaghan, XL Salthill, Co. Galway
David Martin, Mace, Glanmire, Co. Cork
Ela Oczachowska, Brackens Gala, Stradbally, Co. Laois

Supermarket Manager of the Year (Mid-Large)

Sponsored by Johnston Shopfitters

Chris O’ Driscoll, SuperValu Castletroy, Co. Limerick
Doug Thompson, SuperValu Sundrive, Dublin 6
Edgaras Stanius, SuperValu Walkinstown, Dublin 12
Jamie Caffrey, SuperValu, Blanchardstown, Dublin
David Howell – SuperValu Lucan, Co. Dublin

Supermarket Manager of the Year (Small)

Sponsored by Bank of Ireland

James Brennan, SuperValu Ranelagh, Dublin 6
Jonathan Mooney, Eurospar Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
Tanya McGarry, Charlesland, Greystones, Co. Wicklow
Tommy Murphy, Burkes Eurospar, Kinvara, Co. Galway
Shane Jones, Eurospar, Cobh, Co. Cork
Fintan Battles, Liddy’s Eurospar, Ennis, Co. Clare
Simon Champ, Herlihy’s, Fermoy, Co. Cork

Brand Marketing Team

Sponsored by BWG Foods

Premiere Lotteries
JTI/Logic
Fulfil
Heineken
Coca-Cola HBC Ireland

 

How, and why, to think long-term when hiring during post lockdown uncertainty

Posted on | by Editorial Team

As a country, we continue to balance the fight against COVID-19 with the fight to rebound against its effects on the economy. Businesses are also moving from focusing on operating safely to focusing on their longer-term goals; while still operating in an uncertain and constantly changing landscape. This leads many managers to question their strategies for hiring during post lockdown uncertainty.

What this means in recruitment terms, is that hiring someone new at any level is now a more important decision than ever. Even for business with bright long-term futures, the uncertainty that’s affecting the entire world has understandably hindered everyone’s ability to plan anything, from holidays to houses to new hires. Below are a few tips to ensure you maximise the effectiveness of your recruitment efforts for the long-term, even as things continue to change.

Take stock

Now more than ever it is crucial to be clear on the needs and goals of your business, and who you may need to hire to achieve these. Taking a step back and actively assessing your current team’s strengths and weaknesses can allow you to identify potential gaps in talent or assess whether it may be a simpler issue of retraining, motivating or even promoting your current team. By refocusing on the long-term vision for the business, as well as current needs rather than just making the quickest/ cheapest/ most convenient hire, you are less likely to make a potentially costly mistake.

Quality over quantity

An unfortunate fact of this pandemic is that more people from a wide range of industries are now looking for work. Many are looking for a change of sector, either temporarily until things return to normal or permanently. Open vacancies, including those that were headaches to fill just a few months ago, are now seeing a huge spike in applications. While this sounds great, shifting through unqualified or unsuitable candidates can be time-consuming, particularly if you’re not looking with a focused eye. While it is important to stay open-minded to transferable skills and experience, by building the profile of your ideal hire before you start recruiting, you’re less likely to waste on unsuitable CVs or make a snap decision on who to hire for the sake of speeding up the process.

Candidate experience

While we are no longer operating in the candidate’s market we were just a few short months ago, it is important to remember that to have high calibre staff, you must first attract a pool of high calibre candidates. While there are now more active jobseekers generally, grocery retail is still a competitive and thriving employment market and you want to ensure you’re attracting the best applicants possible.

Budgets are tighter and employers want to avoid having to offer candidates more and more money to entice them to move. But salary isn’t the be-all and end-all for candidates either. Factors such as commute, work/life balance, company culture and career progression are all still priorities to candidates regardless of COVID-19 and should be highlighted throughout the recruitment process.

Remember the soft skills

Although there is a lot to be positive about as the country returns to normal, there is still uncertainty around the economy with government guidelines being revised and reassessed as needed. As frontline workers during the entirety of lockdown, those working in the grocery industry know more than anyone how crucial it is to be able to react and pivot quickly, while simultaneously remaining welcoming and friendly to customers. Resilience, adaptability flexibility and positivity are qualities in your team and potential new staff that cannot be underestimated as we continue to learn how to operate in post lockdown life.

Purchasing, Procurement and Retail Buying Careers

Posted on | by Editorial Team

Our Recruitment Consultant Sarah recruits across Retail Head Office and Supply Chain and always gets questions from jobseekers about careers in Buying. In this video, she breaks down the difference between Buying, Purchasing and Procurement and the skills employers look for when recruiting each.

 

 

How important retail really is

How COVID-19 has shown how important retail really is

Posted on | by Editorial Team

To say it has been a trying few months for retail is probably the understatement of the century. No-one paying even passing attention could argue that the past few months haven’t been some of the most stressful and confusing retailers have ever faced. Most have thankfully re-opened and are now successfully operating in a socially distanced world but there is still a long road to go. Much support will be needed from central government, local councils and consumers over the coming months.

BUT…..there have been rays of light for retailers

One of the most striking things from the staggered re-openings of retailers has been consumers’ reaction. The anticipation and excitement for shops to re-open and then the pure joy when they did were remarkable. The fanfare of Penney’s re-opening was huge and notably driven by the brand’s loyal customers rather than any marketing from the retailer itself, with queues for most of its stores beginning in the early hours and stretching through neighbouring streets.

While Penneys made national headlines, a walk down Dublin’s Henry Street (close to Excel HQ) saw similar queues for retailers of all kinds in the days and weeks since re-opening.

Need and want

While online shopping proved a lifeline for those who were cocooning and a welcome distraction for those simply bored at home, there are customer needs and goals that online shopping can never meet as successfully as bricks and mortar stores. While online shopping soared during lockdown, so did buyer’s remorse and returns. There are many purchases customers far prefer making in-person from cosmetics to a new pair of jeans to investing in an expensive piece of tech. E-commerce sites constantly revise and refine how they present products but there’s little that can replicate seeing, feeling and experience a product in real life before you buy.

The shopping experience

There are also purchases where the experience of buying is almost as important as the actual item itself, such as a luxury handbag or a brand’s latest ‘must-have’ release. Customers value the expertise and input of experienced sales consultants and brand experts when making an important purchase. On a much more fundamental level what has become clear is, people like shopping. Lockdown proved more than anything that we are social creatures and missed the chance to get out and engage with other humans. With more and more people choosing to holiday at home this year, that practise can only continue.

E-commerce and online shopping aren’t going anywhere, but it’s becoming clearer and clearer they won’t not going to be the trigger of the ‘retail apocalypse’ that many predicted. Traditional retailing shouldn’t be trying to compete with online, but instead tapping into what makes it special. This isn’t the time for the retail industry to try to simply ride out the storm, instead redouble efforts into ensuring well-trained, knowledgeable salespeople combined friendly, genuine customer service and a personalised, engaging customer experience should be the focus.

BARRY WHELAN, CEO OF EXCEL RECRUITMENT

Recruitment in the time of corona

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Excel Recruitment CEO Barry Whelan gives his tips for recruitment in a socially distanced world

Even with lockdown potentially (hopefully) coming to a full end in the next few weeks, social distancing and remote working where possible are going to be the way of life for many for the foreseeable future. While things might seem all doom and gloom, there are companies actively hiring and many others planning their recruitment needs for when restrictions ease and life returns to its new normal. Whether you’re looking for a longterm leader to join your business or for an immediate scale-up of staff to meet extra demand, below are some tips for employers to help tackle safely shifting your recruitment processes during this time while still finding great talent to join their team.

Do a tech check

There are a huge number of technologies available to facilitate remote working, team meetings and video interviewing, From Zoom to Microsoft teams to Bluejeans, the list is endless. But before you fall down the rabbit hole and rush to invest in tech, assess what you need it for and whether you need it at all. Are your team structured enough that a group email thread will work? What about setting up a Whatsapp group so everyone can stay connected and in the loop? For interviewing new hires, does it need to be a video call or are you comfortable with just a phone interview? As with everything, remote working technology is only valuable if you need it.

Video call confidence

Many employers have embraced video interviews and while it’s great to be able to engage with potential new hires, it’s important to remember that video interviews should be fundamentally similar to in-person interviews. All the advice we’ve been giving to jobseekers about video interviews applies to employers and hiring managers as well. Dress the part, check whatever software and wifi connection you’re using are good to go, make sure you’re in a quiet space and that people know not to disturb you, turn your phone to silent and have a back-up plan should you need it. There are often delays and pauses in the connection that don’t occur face to face so practice not only using the tech but communicating through it.

Ask: who’s doing what?

One of the biggest headaches of remote working is keeping in contact with team members and ensuring everyone is engaged and on the same page. While it may sound obvious, ensuring everyone knows who’s doing what will save a huge amount of time, money and headaches for you and your team. Simple questions such as who’s taking charge of screening at CVs, who’s scheduling interviews/ contacting candidates etc. need to be clarified before the hiring begins. Often this happens organically when the team are all in the office at the same time, but now these details must be discussed ahead of time so everyone’s on the same page. Not only is this important to ensures a smooth running in-house but also improves the candidate’s experience.

Stay engaged with your current team

With everything so up in the air, making considered, thoughtful hiring decisions are now more important than ever. Open clear communications with teams and individuals at all levels of the business means you will be better able to identify where the real gaps and needs in your team are and work to fill these, instead of where you presume the needs are. Developing stronger communication with your team also means you’re in a better position to spot if employees may be unhappy and looking for a move and you can work to address any issues before they start sending CVs out.

Have an onboarding plan

Once you’ve done the hard work of recruiting a role, don’t forget the next crucial part of the process: Onboarding and training your newest team member. It can be quite disconcerting to start a new job at the best of times, let alone in the middle of a global crisis! Depending on your company/ the role, your new hire may be working from home without the opportunity to meet their team/ manager in person or if working in essential services may have a huge amount of information and policies or procedures to absorb. Having a clear training plan ahead of time along with regular check-ins will be key to ensuring your new team member hits the ground running.

 

retail reopenings, social distancing, retail

Retail’s Return: The reality of retail in a socially distanced world?

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

 

To state the obvious, the past couple of months have been strenuous for retail to say the least. It has also been hugely heartening to see the industry, retailers-suppliers-staff and so many more, pull together in putting collective thinking caps on to assist vulnerable customers meet their basic needs as well as getting creative to find new and exciting ways to reach and engage with customers.

Hypothetically speaking

What also has to be commended is the resilience, patience and positivity of our grocery retailers and pharmacies in the face of customers’ fears, fraying frustrations and disregard (whether naïve or intentional) for social distancing guidelines. The Government have released their own “Return to work safely” but at 29 pages, how much of it can actually work in real life?

Retailers in all areas have two big questions at the forefront of their minds, a) how to recoup some of the losses from the last few weeks of physical stores being closed and b) how to keep staff and customers safe while doing it?

What we do know is the measures put in place and valiantly maintained by grocery retailers and pharmacies over the last few weeks will now be the standard. But how much further will that go as retailers, and society, move from the hypothetical to the reality of retail in a socially distanced world?

But how will it actually work?

It’s a proven psychological quirk of human beings that we remember those who break rules or social standards and not those that follow them. As a retailer, suddenly everything about your physical store; the store entrance, the width of aisles, the space near checkouts, the density of people in-store are going to come under intense scrutiny. Is tape on the floors, reduced shopping baskets available and plexiglass screens the extent of what’s needed or only the start? Globally, some interesting solutions are being proposed, with Apple and Best Buy trialling appointment bookings for in-store services while IKEA has enabled virtual queuing and remote kitchen planning sessions. While these obviously use more resources in terms of infrastruture and roll-out, it does remove the stress of retail staff being responsible for enforcing physical distancing in store and have the added benefit of a more personalised, premium service.

Communication breakdowns?

Whatever way shops decide to implement the guidance, communicating the new shopping etiquette to ensure adherence without alienating or frightening customers is going to be critical. In-store, again as has already been proven in the grocery sector, non-verbal/ non-direct communication is equally important – from choice of music to tannoy messages to the type and amount of signage. Messaging needs to be transparent and frequent to reinforce rules to customers. Digital communication has proven critical over the last few weeks as social media has been in many cases the only ‘socialness’ people have. It will continue to be crucial as brands strive to extend their influence in the customer journey beyond just the basics and return the idea of shopping to a pleasure activity, even with social distancing in place.

Retail is and will remain a people-centred business and now more than ever it will be crucial that retailers of all sizes put the needs of people, customers and colleagues at the heart of what you do.

Health

How to stay healthy when you can’t work from home

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

As all of us across the country continue to work against the spread of COVID-19, government instructions continue to be to stay home, stay healthy, and work from home if you can. At Excel Recruitment, we work directly with clients and candidates on the frontlines of this crisis dealing directly with the needs of the public. For all these fantastic workers (including our own temp team) in healthcare, retail, warehouses, supply chain and more, working from home isn’t an option. So for those on the frontlines right now: what can be done to mind both your physical health, mental health, and to stay healthy overall?

How sustainability is changing the way retail head offices’ recruit

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

With environmental impact firmly in the minds of their customers, retail head offices are looking for the talent to help them get greener. Head Office recruiter Sarah Hurley explains more about sustainability….

Unless you’re actively trying, ‘the green agenda’, and messages around sustainability have become impossible to avoid. From most people using a keep cup or reusable water bottle to ‘Veganuary’ shifting from a personal challenge to a permanent lifestyle for some, what was once niche has become everyday. Social consciousness is not just a marketing buzzword but rather a mainstream mindset. Retailers have made it readily accessible and easy for their customers to become part of this ‘journey’ and from this, social responsibility has become a major consideration in buying offices globally.

Fast-fashion businesses are in the spotlight, as their customers become more aware of issues around sustainability in the fashion industry, whilst still wanting to shop the latest trends. For retailers, in order to stay on top, it is imperative that they both make tangible inroads into a greener way of doing business and then convey these changes to their customers. The goal is to make it easier for customers to shop consciously yet to still offer them great value and choice.

To meet this demand, retailers are interested in the knowledge and insight these people may bring with them when recruiting Buyers, Designers and other key head office employees. They want people with about how best to introduce these necessary changes cross-functionally whilst still managing the bottom line.

As these retailers source and sell globally, they produce tens of thousands of garments and transport them by land, sea and air to fulfil their customer’s demands. So retailers’ issues aren’t as straight forward as ditching plastic hangers or using paper over plastic bags. From the bigger issues around supply chain and sourcing to less obvious matters around card types used for labels and packaging, retailers want to ensure their green strategy and message is conveyed at every level and function in their business. This means they are seeking out individuals that possess a knowledge of a product’s life cycle (from factory to shop floor) and its environmental impact, as actions in one function of the business can have a negative knock-on effect on another.

Some retailers are creating specific roles dedicated to analysing the business and make significant greener changes, such as Sustainability Managers/Officers or Sustainable Packaging Managers. Others are adding additional requirements to Buyers and Designers’ existing briefs.

So what can job seekers do to tap into this demand from employers and diversify their experience? As this is a relatively new function within Irish retailers, they aren’t looking for the employees who are the finished article but instead individuals who have perhaps done projects in sustainability in their current role or can demonstrate excellent knowledge or a keen interest in this area. What retailers want is candidates that hold with the skills of a Buyer or Designer etc. such as trend forecasting, sourcing, negotiating, and analytical abilities, coupled with an innate interest in environmental issues and a commitment to work hand-in-hand with external stakeholders to drive sustainability across the broader business.

Green Friday

Green is the new Black (Friday)

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

A national campaign hopes to encourage consumers to buy Irish this Black Friday.

The “Green Friday” campaign aims to encourage people to shop locally and support Irish brands and businesses this Christmas shopping period. Beginning in America, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales events have been enthusiastically embraced by consumers here and last year saw more than €50m spent over the course of the weekend.

But there has been growing concern in recent years that the majority of this spending is going to overseas retailers online. The Green Friday campaign is asking people to support jobs and their local economies and contribute to Ireland’s creative community, manufacturers and service providers by buying Irish this November 25th.

The new initiative is led by Marian O’Gorman, CEO of Kilkenny retail group and supported trade associations including the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Retail Excellence, Chambers Ireland, the Small Firms Association and Irish brands and retail businesses countrywide.

Up to €4.65 billion will be spent by Irish consumers during the Christmas period, based on research by Retail Ireland. Brands and businesses are being encouraged to get involved and market their products under the Green Friday banner this Christmas to highlighting the value of shopping locally.

“With Brexit uncertainty and trade tariffs lingering, now, more than ever, we need to reawaken people to the significance of buying Irish and shopping local” says Marian O’Gorman “Irish brands and designers are second to none, with many that are leaders on a world stage. We, as consumers, need to appreciate the fundamental fact that by keeping money in circulation in our own communities, we are protecting jobs and public services.”

SFA Director Sven Spollen-Behrens said that Christmas can add a major economic impetus when shoppers back small businesses and help maintain jobs.

“If each adult spent just €20 extra in small local businesses this Christmas, this would amount to an injection of over €73m for small firms and would have a huge, positive impact on local jobs and the vibrancy of town and village centres.”