Restaurants being urged to charge ‘no-shows’

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The Restaurants Association of Ireland is urging restaurants to take a non-refundable deposit when customers are making a booking to guard against ‘no-shows’.

The Association is calling on its members to take the deposits as a way to discourage the practice of people booking tables and then not turning up. According to Adrian Cummins, chief executive of the association, the problem was “rampant across the country” during the Christmas period, with a marked increase in no-shows. In an attempt to curb the issue, the association is encouraging members to take non-refundable deposits which would then be deducted from the table’s final bill or forfeited if the party doesn’t turn up.

The association has proposed a €20 deposit on tables of more than four but according to Mr Cummins, the Competition Authority will not allow the association to set the rate and they are encouraging members to define their own policy in terms of both the price and the sizes of parties charged based on the size of their own operation.

Mr Cummins pointed out that bookings for tickets for concerts and the cinema are forfeited if people do not turn up. “The industry needs to do something about this. We need to stamp out ‘no-shows’. People will have to give advance notice of 24 to 48 hours if they are going to cancel.” Mr Cummins pointed out that bookings for tickets for concerts and the cinema are forfeited if people do not turn up. “The industry needs to do something about this. We need to stamp out ‘no-shows’. People will have to give advance notice of 24 to 48 hours if they are going to cancel.

‘No-shows’ can be extremely costly for restaurants, in terms of both staff and produce bought in. Mr Cummins used one example when speaking to Newstalk this morning of one restaurant which had experienced the ‘no show’ of a party of 20 which was one-third of the restaurant’s capacity and had been very costly for them.

 

black friday

Black Friday boosts retail sales by 2.6% in November

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

The volume of retail sales increased by 2.6% in November on a monthly basis, with retail sales up 6.8% on an annual basis, according to the latest figures released by the Central Statistics Office. The figures, which were stronger than expected, come on the back of strong Black Friday sales during the month. Retailers reported their strongest ever ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ sales on the 24th and 27th of the month.

Electrical goods performed particularly strong in the period with sales seeing a 14.5% increase from the previous month. Department stores sales increased by 6.7% while “other” retail sales – which include the likes of carpets, toys, flowers, plants, pets animals and pet food – increased by 5.7%.

There is some debate amongst analysts as to whether the U.S inspired Black Friday and Cyber Monday promotional events actually increase sales and encourage shoppers to make additional purchases or just act as an incentive for shoppers to do their Christmas shopping early. “The question remains whether spending has merely been brought forward from the traditional December season to November,” Davy analyst David McNamara said, noting industry surveys suggested that December spending was disappointing for Irish retailers.According to Retail Ireland, early indications show that December sales will be on par with 2016. However, he acknowledged that Irish consumer spending “will be higher once again in Q4 as a recovering labour market and wage growth drive demand”.

Merrion economist Alan McQuaid said that while retail sales remain erratic on a monthly basis and are still swinging back and forth, the underlying trend is positive. “While most attention has been on new car sales in the past couple of years, which were lower in 2017 than 2016, personal spending in other areas has picked up over the same period and is becoming more broad-based,” the economist noted.

Barry Whelan, CEO Excel Recruitment

8 WAYS TO GET A GREAT JOB IN 2018!

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

New Year, New Career? If you’ve decided 2018 is the year you find your dream job, CEO of Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan shares his top tips on starting your search…

2017 was a great year for jobseekers and with unemployment currently standing at 6.1%, 2018 is shaping up to be even better with a strong job market, salaries on the increase and companies looking to employ. We are already out the door here in Excel Recruitment and if landing a great new job tops your wish list this year, there’s a good chance your wish will come true. Job hunting is always tough, but with a little effort you can really increase your chances of landing a great job,

Upgrade your LinkedIn Profile.

LinkedIn is simply your CV on social media. Potential employers are going to look you up on this platform. Build your profile professionally. Use Keywords that recruiters will search for and make sure your job title is not too bespoke or obscure and for the love of god, DON’T use a Selfie as your profile picture. Selfies are generally unflattering and unprofessional. All retailers know we buy with our eyes when it comes to product, well it’s the same with people. Get a professional headshot done.

Engage with a great recruiter.

Ask your friends and colleagues who they used, who they would recommend and get on that recruiter’s radar (Or save yourself some time and just click here to find the best recruiters in the biz.) Pop them a speculative CV and ask for a quick chat. Whilst they may not have your dream job now, they may in the future.

Upgrade your profile

Promote yourself as a knowledge leader in your industry. Join Trade associations, Volunteer to speak on Panels, Blog something of interest, and create a record of expertise for yourself.

Streamline your CV

Your CV a tool you use to get an interview. Make it a sledgehammer! Streamline your CV to really highlight your best achievements and the career success you have enjoyed, don’t overkill with lengthy cover notes or crazy detail. It is just the tool to raise interest in someone meeting you. The detail will come in the interview.

Erase your soft skills…and irrelevant experience

To streamline your CV just delete your soft skills and early career. If you are 10 years or more into your career, work in the corner shop or winning the all-Ireland ping pong championship when you were 12 is just taking up valuable space. Delete hobbies unless they are relevant to your job. Nobody cares!

Highlight your tech ability

We live in the world of technology, regardless of our job or industry. Make sure both on your CV and on LinkedIn you highlight every tech system, package and product you have ever had the pleasure of using. Microsoft this and that all the way to SAP, name check them all

Don’t follow the money

Nobody really likes greed, no matter how healthy the economy might be. Besides, a great job, short commute, route to progression and good Work/Life balance can go a long way to happiness in a job that money alone can’t offer. Don’t chase the Euro or at least, don’t come across as obsessed by money.

Know your Value

Research the market value of the position you are going for and pitch yourself accordingly, don’t frighten a new employer off by pitching yourself too high or indeed, undervalue yourself.

Good luck in your job hunt and be sure to check out our current live jobs to kick-start your search!

Bumper ‘Cyber Week’ for retailers says Retail Excellence Ireland

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Pharmacy, cosmetics, electronics, technology and fashion have been the biggest draws for Irish shoppers so far this Christmas season. A report conducted by retail representative body Retail Excellence Ireland show a sales lift of up to 60% year-on-year during the final week of November. This week, dubbed ‘Cyber Week’ has fast become a crucial time for retailers as it sees online retail figures spike in time for Christmas. It stems originally from US retailers tempting shoppers by offering bargains around the American Thanksgiving holiday. Events such as Cyber Week have prompted many retailers to adapt their sales strategy with a view to elongating the Christmas shopping period.

Lorraine Higgins, Deputy Chief Executive of Retail Excellence Ireland, said the survey was representative of all the retail sectors in Ireland and the fact that retailers were reporting a 20-60% increase in sales is a very positive story. According to Higgins, the benefits to the Exchequer are also obvious as well and she highlights how Budget 2018 resulted in many with increased disposable income, which is impacting positively on consumer sentiment. A record number of people are also back at work and so will up their spending.

But she added that the retail sector is not without its challenges, and the amount of spending that is “leaking out” of the country on a daily basis is one of these challenges. Two-thirds of consumers’ online spend is going out of the country and further supports for retailers to take on the European online stage are needed. She said that Enterprise Ireland currently supports manufacturing and processing companies, and now it is time the agency also supported the retail industry.

Ms Higgins said that online sales is an increasingly important part of retailers’ business and its growth cannot be underestimated. She said that it will become up to 30% of retailers’ business and so is too big to ignore. There are difficulties due to poor broadband services in some areas of the country, but Ms Higgins said that €602 billion is being spent by European consumers online and Irish retailers have to get a slice of that ever-increasing pie. According to Department of Communications figures, 84% of Irish consumers by 2020 will buy “frequently” online, she added.

Irish households to spend average of €2,654 in the lead up to Christmas

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Irish households are expected to spend an average of €2,654 in the run-up to Christmas, according to Retail Ireland, the retail representative body.

This figure is €870 more than any other month this year as Irish shoppers are expected to take advantage of rising wages and falling prices to spend significantly more in the coming weeks. The Ibec group predicts an increase in total sales of more than €100 million and as a whole, we’re expected to spend around €4.5 billion over the Christmas period, a figure up from the €4.4 billion spent in 2016.

A combination of lower prices and higher disposable income should see consumers more willing to spend. According to the report, the prices of goods have fallen by 2.2% in the first 10 months of 2017 and by 8.4% in the last three years. The pattern of lower prices is set to continue as consumers avail of discounts arising from Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.While prices are falling, spending power is increasing as gross disposable income has climbed by 5.4% in the first half of 2017, following growth of more than 4% in 2016.

For supermarkets and department stores, it expects the week beginning 18 December to be a “make or break” week, with Christmas Day falling on a Monday. Thomas Burke, director of Retail Ireland, said department stores were expecting Christmas to be “a bit of a nail-biter this year” with last-minute shopping expected well into the final week.For 2017 the major trends centre around personalisation, fragrance, champagne and chocolates. For men, the focus will be on trainers, expensive branded and limited editions at mid-price, and for women, luxury accessories and niche fragrance remain firm favourites.

TVs, tablets and video game systems were key to driving sales for many retailers over Black Friday and Cyber Monday and significant demand for these products is expected continue right up until December 25th. While discounting and promotions were used to generate sales over the Black Friday weekend, there will be a renewed emphasis on margin retention on the run-up to Christmas.

‘Latte levy’ likely to be introduced on disposable coffee cups

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

A proposed new ‘latte levy’ on disposable coffee cups is expected to be introduced.

The charge, which could be applied in a similar fashion to the plastic bag levy, is expected to be introduced in the near future. It is reported the initial levy will be set at around 10 to 15 cent per cup.There are a number of other schemes currently under review by the Government such as getting stores to put in place incentives for customers who bring their own cup.

Talks have already taken place with major companies, including Insomnia and Supermac’s, according to the Irish Independent. Roscommon Town has already become part of a ‘pilot scheme’ where customers get discounts for using the “Rossie” reusable cup.

Minister for the Environment Denis Naughten said he wants to try to change consumer behaviour through financial incentives, reusable alternatives and better messaging around the environmental impact of coffee cups.

Mr Naughten said “Some of the areas that we will be looking at involve the potential for local authorities becoming part of a nationwide scheme where customers could sign up, for a small fee, in order to return their used reusable cup to participating cafés and bakeries, and get their next coffee served in another reusable cup,”

There are reportedly in the region of two million disposable coffee cups sent to landfills on a daily basis. The plastic bag levy was introduced nearly 15 years ago, at the price of 15c per bag. The use of plastic bags fell from an estimated 328 bags per inhabitant per year to just 21 bags per capita within a single year. A figure which has continued to fall since.

Three young Irish chefs in semi- finals of the San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Three young Irish chefs have qualified for the semi-finals of the San Pellegrino Young Chef of the Year, beating thousands of chefs from over 90 countries.

Killian Crowley from Michelin-starred Aniar, Michael Tweedie from Adare Manor, and Romuald Bukaty from The Clayton, Dublin Airport have all qualified for the semi-finals of the prestigious semi-final of the competition.

Killian Crowley is Chef de Partie at Galway’s Aniar Restaurant will hope with his Turbot, kohlrabi, sea purslane dish will win out at the finals in London this month. Limerick Chef Michael Tweedie, head chef at The Oakroom Restaurant at Adare Manor, will present his Duncannon Lobster- a ravioli of scallop, lobster and basil, lightly spiced lobster bisque while Chef de Partie at The Clayton, Dublin Airport Romuald Bukaty will present his ‘Hey John Dory’ dish for the competition.

The three young chefs have been progressed to the semi-finals out of thousands of applications submitted from over 90 different countries. The semi-final will take place in Aveqia, London on Monday 20th of November, with the finals taking place in June 2018. Michelin-starred chef Mickael Viljanen from The Greenhouse, Dublin, will judge the semi-final along with chefs Angela Hartnett, Alyn Williams and Phil Howard.

Each finalist will be assigned a “Mentor Chef” (a member of their regional jury), who will provide them guidance on how to improve their signature dishes and support them in their preparation for the international finals.

Irish chefs have a successful track record in the competition with Irishman Mark Moriarty the inaugural winner in 2015. Moriarty went on to become an international ambassador for Irish food.

Dublin Hotels

Dublin hotels full over 300 nights of the year

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

There has been a call for the development of new hotel properties after a Fáilte Ireland report found that limitations on accommodation capacity in key areas are a major barrier to future growth. Reports have shown that business is strong from overseas visitors and bookings and performance are ahead of last year, despite a decline in U.K candidates.

Total overseas arrivals to Ireland from January to August show a record 6.7 million visitors, which is an increase of 2.5%. This increase comes from an increase in the number of North American visitors, up by 18%. This increase shows that North Americans have overtaken UK visitors, traditionally the most important group to the Irish hospitality industry, in terms of revenue spent.

There have been 5 hotels opening this decade in Dublin City Centre and only 1 new hotel opening this year. Property management company JLL have called upon industry stakeholders including planning authorities, hoteliers and developers to encourage and pursue the development of new hotels in the capital’s city centre.

Commenting on the report, Senior Vice President at JLL, Dan O’Connor said, “New hotel rooms are urgently needed in Dublin City and we welcome the publication of Failte Ireland’s latest SOAR report which calls for new hotel supply now.” He added, “With one of the highest hotels occupancy levels of any European City, new hotel supply is necessary to cater for the significant leisure, corporate and group demand now facing Dublin City. We will lose out on millions of spend for the capital, if we don’t deliver new hotel and apart-hotel supply swiftly.”

 

 

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

CEO Barry Whelan on Budget ‘18 and it’s impact on retail

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

CEO of Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan offers his thoughts on yesterday’s Budget and its effects on both the retail and hospitality industries

Budget day is always a big news day and yesterday’s announcement by Minister for Finance Pascal Donohoe was no different. Among the old reliables and headline items, there were few big-ticket wins for business owners but the income changes, reductions in USC and increases in social welfare will be a welcome way to encourage and increase consumer spending. There was a number of important measures that will affect both the retail and hospitality sectors, both directly and indirectly. Below are some of the highs and lows….

9% VAT retained- Firstly, I was delighted to hear that VAT at 9% was retained. Excel’s hospitality division has long supported the #KeepVatat9 campaign and its retention yesterday will be greeted with a sigh of relief from many in the hospitality industry. The rate is crucial in keeping not only the tourism and hospitality industries but the Irish economy as a whole, encouraging overseas visitors, economic growth and jobs nationwide. The move will also benefit retailers in tourist hubs.

Sugar tax- While it was a surprise to no-one, many retailers will still be concerned about the sugar tax introduced yesterday. The new tax will mean a 30 cent per litre of tax will be placed on drinks with over 8g of sugar per 100ml. The tax has caused huge controversy and debate, with major lobby groups campaigning furiously for and against in the months leading to the budget. There are still vastly varying opinions about whether it will exactly make a difference and its success in the UK, Mexico, France and beyond. It is important that the results are monitored closely to ensure the tax fulfils its public health agenda.

Cigarettes & Alcohol- A price hike for cigarettes is always on the cards but it’s still going to agitate retailers, particularly when combined with the new sugar tax. The hike will undoubtedly lead to the increase in cross-border shopping and cigarette smuggling, already big problems for hard-working retailers. There will be mixed feelings regarding excise duty on alcohol, relief that it hasn’t gone up but also disappointment it hasn’t be reduced, particularly with the worry of structural separation still hanging over retailers heads.

Brexit Loan Scheme- While it’s still unclear what the Brexit Loan Scheme will look like, the €300m scheme will still a welcome announcement for SMEs trying to safeguard against the unknowns of Brexit. As the only country to have a land border with the U.K and the country bound to be most affected when the U.K leave the EU, it’s vital we begin to protect vulnerable businesses. The success of the scheme will rely on how quickly the details can be ironed out. How competitive will the ‘competitive rates’ be? What will be the eligibility requirements be? How will the government ensure those business most in need will avail of the Scheme?

Barry Whelan Excel Recruitment

The Counter Offer Conundrum

Posted on | by Aisling Rafferty

Here at Excel Recruitment, we’re seeing counter offers becoming more and more common as companies have to try harder to attract and retain top talent. CEO Barry Whelan tells us why the counter-offer can often create more problems than it can solve….

I first wrote about counter offers for Shelflife magazine in 2012, but the current economic climate means it is well and truly a candidate’s market and counter-offers are becoming increasingly common. It takes a lot of time and money for a company to find and replace valuable staff and employers are becoming even more reluctant to let quality employees go. While most think of ‘counter-offers’ as matching or improving on an offered package, savvy employers will do their homework on the why behind an employee making a move and will try to ‘counter’ this reason for leaving.

As recruiters, we make it our mission to understand why a person wants a change. It takes time and effort for a person to do up their CV, research the market and come into meet us and in my experience it’s rarely just the number on their payslip that’s motivating them. Getting to the root of their reason for leaving is vital information when searching for a new job for them.

So, is accepting a counter-offer ever a good idea? My team and I have found that over the years, the answer is overwhelmingly No. Here are a few reasons why you should think twice before accepting a counter-offer from the employer you were determined to leave in the first place.

1.You had a good reason to leave, that probably hasn’t changed

Like I said earlier, it takes a lot of effort to start looking for jobs and you likely had a very good reason for wanting to leave. Unless it was solely pay, it’s highly unlikely this reason has changed. There’s a high probability that you’ll be looking for a new role again in no time at all, and this time you may not be in as good a position to find a new job.

 

2.They’ll question your loyalty

By telling your employer you’ve either been offered or accepted another position, you’re essentially saying you’ve been unhappy. So even if your company does counter, how can they trust that you won’t eventually stray again?

The bond of trust has been broken, you will leave the company at some stage, but perhaps now you have shown your cards it will be on their terms, not yours. When you are no longer perceived as part of the long-term future, you may find yourself passed up for promotion

3.You’ll burn bridges

Another company has invested their time, money and faith in you through the selection process and decided that you’re the right person for their role so losing you to a counter-offer isn’t something they will take lightly. By accepting a counter offer you will have burnt a bridge with the company looking to employ you. Some companies view this very dimly and if you find your circumstances changing they will not entertain your application again

4.You could hurt your future progression

There’s a chance your employer has given you a counter offer made up of a promotion or the pay rise that was coming your way anyway. By accepting their offer, you’re sending the message that your now satisfied with x amount and could be inadvertently moving any chance of progressing through the business even further down the line.