Retail Times Q1 2023

40years of Irish Gifting

As Carroll’s Irish Gifts hits a milestone year in retail

In This Issue

REI gears up for its retreat celebrating all things Retail Limerick’s big plans for Retail Rejuvenation Game over for Greenwashing

Welcome

On behalf of everyone in Retail Excellence Ireland, I would like to express our gratitude to our outgoing Chairman, Joe Barret, CEO of Applegreen. Joe’s leadership and dedication during his tenure as our Chairman was unwavering. His commitment to excellence and his visionary approach have been instrumental in shaping Retail Excellence into the successful and dynamic organisation that it is today. His leadership has been invaluable, and we are proud to have had the opportunity to work with such a visionary over his tenure.

As we settle into 2023 and I settle into the new role as chairperson, the retail landscape has not been predicable. The consumer sentiment index climbed to an eight-month high of 55.6 in February. The index was up from September’s 14-year low when higher energy cost worries and rising interest rates dragged down the outlook for household finances. However, it remained well below the 77.0 recorded in the February 2022. The Irish economy has again proven resilient and the worst fears from a year ago have not been realised. Needless to say, retailers are still facing rising costs and the tightness in the labour market has continued to provide its own unique challeneges and aspects of uncertainty.

Recently, we had the appointment of a new Minister for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Neil Richmond. We partook in a broad ranging discussion with the Minister in early March. We highlighted the challenges of a rising cost base, the green transition, attracting people to a career in retail, the rejuvenation of our town centres and the impact of the housing crisis on our industry. The Minister will join us for our Retail Retreat in May and we look forward to intorducing you to him then.

We are also delighted to share with you details of our upcoming Retail Retreat. This is an event not to be missed, as it presents a unique opportunity to learn and network with fellow retailers. Hosted by Sonya Lennon, the event will feature a lineup of inspiring speakers who will share their knowledge and experience of the industry, speakers like Sue Harris, E-Commerce Director for Screwfix and Chupi Sweetman, founder of the international success story Chupi Jewellery to name a few. More speakers to be announced over the coming weeks. We also look forward to bringing Ireland’s leading retailers together with our retail partners and suppliers in the exhibition centre. This year’s chosen location is in the Dublin Royal Convention Centre which is a fabulous new venue in Dublin City Centre beside the Radisson Hotel in Golden Lane.

As summer approaches, our shores will be adorned with tourist visitors from all over the world. In this edition of the Retail Times, we celebrate the success story of Irish tourism retailer, Carroll’s Irish GIfts. Colm Carroll, is the gentleman at the forefront of this success story, and after 40 years at the helm, his words of wisdom are insprinng and thought provoking. I hope you enjoy the read. Go

Editor Jennifer McShane

Retail Excellence Editor

Keelan Bourke

Duncan Graham

Creative Director Jane Matthews

REI hosts productive meeting with new Minister for Retail

Managing Director for Retail Excellence

Ireland, Duncan Graham, Board Member and Director of Arboretum, Fergal Doyle attended a positive meeting with the new Minister for Retail, Neale Richmond. Issues discussed included cost pressures, recruitment and retention, promoting a career in retail and further grants for the development of e-commerce . We are really looking forward to working with Minister Richmond and his team this year.

Mr.PRICE wins Advancing Disability Equality Award

Mr.PRICE have won the Advancing Disability Equality Award at National Diversity Inclusion Awards (NDIA) 2023. This was the NDIA’s first awards ceremony, which featured finalists across several sectors. Mr.PRICE are the first ever retailer to win this prestigious award. This award was made possible with their partnership with Rehab Group and National Learning Network. The aim of the partnership is to increase the employment rates of people with disabilities in every county. In Ireland, a person with a disability is just over half as likely to be employed as a non-disabled peer, according to a study published by IBEC. Ireland’s rate of employment amongst people with disabilities the 4th lowest in Europe.

Nesprsso unveils new location in Dundrum Town Centre

Nespresso recently opened their newest boutique location in the awardwinning Dundrum Town Centre. Located on Level 1, the newly designed open boutique is a direct response to the continued growing appetite for premium quality coffee. It will allow customers the opportunity to explore all -things coffee through Nespresso’s immersive, sensory and personalised experience. The store features an extended gallery showcasing their machines and bespoke accessorises, as well as a new dedicated tasting bar, with a team of highly-skilled coffee specialists.

L to R: Duncan Graham, Fergal Doyle and Neale Richmond TD.

Expo shines spotlight on Clare’s Artisan Food & local craft suppliers

“The Expo was not only about introducing Clare’s rich array of quality suppliers to new customers and retail buyers, but it also afforded them a unique opportunity to learn how they can expand their market and further improve their marketing techniques an age of increased competition in the marketplace,” said Bobby Kerr, Chairperson of the Board of the Cliffs of Moher Centre DAC. Supported by the Clare Local Enterprise Office, Clare County Council and the Burren & Cliffs of Moher

UNESCO Global Geopark, the inaugural Cliffs of Moher and Clare Retail Expo was attended by more than 3,000 people and featured 24 local craft suppliers and 50 quality local, regional, and national trade buyers from all over Ireland.

Boots Ireland opens two new Dublin stores

Boots Ireland has announced the opening of two new stores in Dublin, in Harold’s Cross and Deansgrange in Dublin. As part of the pharmacy chain’s continued investment into the growth and expansion of stores around the country, the two store openings bring the total number of Boots stores in the Republic of Ireland to 93.

Stocktaking.ie’s charity partnership extended for 2023

Stocktaking.ie, Ireland’s leading stocktaking company, are once again supporting Cancer Fund for Children, Daisy Lodge Mayo for 2023. They also recently donated a cheque for moneys raised in 2022. The lodge is a dedicated therapeutic short break facility in Cong for children (and their families) across Ireland diagnosed with cancer. “A new Daisy Lodge Mayo will help more than double the number of children and parents supported by Cancer Fund for Children from 1,800 to 4,000, ensuring that no family in Ireland faces childhood cancer alone,” said Stocktaking. ie Business Development Manager Sharon Kelly.

Nike to open ‘Nike Live’ outlet in Dundrum Town Centre

Nike is set to open a new store in Dundrum Town Centre in Dublin this summer. The new ‘Nike Live’ outlet - the first of its kind in Ireland - will have a range of in-store experiences and tailored offerings, as well as a curated assortment of sport performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. “This concept will offer an interactive, customised retail offering to customers hungry for quality sportswear. We’re excited to see how our customers respond to this innovative new concept,” Dundrum Town Centre Manager Connor Owens said.

Stephen Watkins, Managing Director of Boots Ireland with Joe Scallan, Head of Stores Boots Ireland and colleagues from the newly opened Boots Store in Harold’s Cross, Sarah Gaffney, Yasmin Kirby and Meadhbh Honohan

Wexford to Raise The Roof on outdoor hospitality

Monck Street, one of Wexford town’s most popular night spots, will have a retractable roof stretching over its entire length in time for the June bank holiday weekend after a contract was awarded for the work. Wexford District Manager Angela Laffan confirmed the news and said the all-weather canopy will add a new dimension to the town’s outdoor dining facilities. “It will be a great addition to the town. The plan is to have it finished in June for the tourist season.”

Double win for TapCreative at Fit Out Awards 2022

TapCreative stood out amongst key industry players at the recent Fit Out Awards 2022, where the best of design, functionality, and innovation were celebrated. They took home the trophy for Practice of the Year 2022, and one of their Designers, Conor Dunne was also given FitOut’s Designer of the Year - Rising Star award. “The Fit Out Awards celebrate the best of the best in the industry. Being recognised among such industry greats is significant for us. A testimony to our clients for believing in us and our team’s fantastic work. I’m extremely proud of the team and Conor, a true star in every way,” said Niamh Higgins, Managing Director, TapCreative.

Waterford to be transformed by €170m North Quays project

A €170m investment in Waterford’s long-awaited North Quays project will prove “transformative” for Ireland’s oldest city. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the North Quays project reflected the Government’s determination to ensure the development of regional cities like Cork, Limerick, Waterford and Galway was accelerated. It will include a 15-storey hotel and conference centre, twin blocks of office space rising to seven storeys, 300 apartments in five structures varying between seven to 17 storeys in height as well as a major open public amenity space.

Excel Recruitment to create 100 new jobs

Excel Recruitment has announced plans to create 100 new roles over the next 12 months. The recruitment agency grew its office footprint by 25% after opening a new 5,000 sq. ft office on Capel Street in Dublin, and it recently furthered its network with the opening of an office in Belfast. The firm also has offices in Kildare, Cork and Galway. “We have doubled our growth every year for the last three years, despite the challenges of Covid,” said founder and CEO Barry Whelan.

Homestore + More to open new store in Frascati Shopping Centre

Irish homeware retailer Homestore and More is to open for business at the Frascati Centre in Blackrock in May. The new outlet, the company’s 24th in Ireland, will be located in the basement level of the former Debenhams unit. The store will be the retailer’s first shopping centre presence – it traditionally trades in retail park locations. The former Debenhams store, located on the ground and lower ground floor of the Frascati Centre, has been vacant since the UK-headquartered chain went into liquidation back in 2020.

Ahead of REI’s Retail Retreat in May, we profile a selection of speakers you’ll have the chance to see at the event

Star Speakers

It’s been more than obvious to REI – and I think customers too – how resilient and adaptable the retail industry has been, not just through COVID when non-essential retail was shut, but through last year, in terms of the challenges retailers have faced getting back on their feet. They’ve been incredibly responsive, pivoting their business models as necessary. And our Retail Retreat in May is an opportunity to get together and understand what we have learned after such a trying and intense period. The pandemic also showed us how robust the industry is. It was an example of how retailers listened to their customer and adapted their business model to this seismic change that had taken place. Those who were really successful were the ones who used the opportunity when things were di cult, to reinvent themselves and to focus on the new things important to their customers. This was something that shone through in our Retail Excellence Awards in 2022. And there’ll be examples of this in this year’s retreat – great retailers showcasing what they do brilliantly. This retreat is an opportunity to network with people who love the industry, to share ideas and commonality, but also focused around the sharing of stories and experiences. With hundreds gathered together in the one space, we’ve chosen a mixture of experts in retail, to talk across all areas from e-commerce, to retail trends, sustainability and so on. And we’re also bringing in some inspirational keynote speakers, from jewellery designer and entrepreneur Chupi to writer and speaker Brian Pennie, PHD, among others. The pandemic has impacted everybody, so we will have a range of experiences to inspire attendees. In terms of the retreat itself, we’ve chosen The Dublin Royal Convention Centre, a fabulous new venue, only open since January. This also gives us a great opportunity to highlight some of the brilliant new retailers arrived in and around Dublin. Equally, we’ll spotlight existing retailers who have altered their model and are doing things di erently – so it’s a real opportunity for retailers benchmark themselves against what others are doing. And of course we’ll have entertainment and workshops throughout. We are delighted that AIB Merchant Services will be our headline sponsor for the Retail Retreat once again this year. The retreat will be mixture of inspiration, learning, networking, with some fun in the mix.”

Duncan Graham, Managing Director, Retail Excellence

Find out more about our Retail Retreat, taking place on May 30th & 31st, by visiting www.retailexcellence.ie

Duncan Graham, Managing Director, Retail Excellence

Sue Harries Digital, Proposition & Data Director

Sue joined the Screwfix board in July 2022 and leads its Digital, Customer Proposition and Data teams. With over 25 years’ experience in retail gained across multiple disciplines, she started her career as a qualified accountant (ACCA) and has held senior roles at Peacocks, AXA, Screwfix & Kingfisher. She first joined Screwfix in 2005 where she worked across Commercial Finance, Marketing and Digital roles, and even ran a Trade Counter during the early roll-out of stores. In 2020, she moved from leading the Screwfix Digital team to Kingfisher as Group E-commerce Director, to support the new group-wide e-commerce strategic direction. Sue is married with two daughters and enjoys paddle boarding and kayaking, taking advantage of living near the south coast.

Chupi Sweetman CEO & Founder of Chupi

After a decade of working in the giants of commercial fashion, Chupi founded her eponymous jewellery line in 2013. Her creative and strategic vision has scaled Chupi to a luxury jewellery brand selling into over 70 countries. Part of the coveted EY EOY Alumni and a Lead Entrepreneur on the KPMG Enterprise Ireland backed Going for Growth program, Chupi is one of Ireland’s leading female founders and is regularly featured in the press. Chupi designs timeless pieces to mark life’s most precious moments. Her award-winning jewellery is destined to become your future heirloom.

I’ve always believed the key to success is having a dream and a plan. You need to believe in where you are going, you need a map to get there. It has been an essential part of our resilience as we have scaled Chupi”

Peter Turley Corporate Sales Speaker and Developer

For almost his entire career, Peter Turley has been ripping up rulebooks, and rewriting processes to create greater impact and superior results, being first and foremost a problem solver. Seeing opportunity where others see challenge, he has outshone competitors, weathered recessions, built profitable businesses, raised strong and fiercely loyal teams, and has earned a reputation as “a simply remarkable thinker with a rare ability to inspire”. He now works as a professional speaker and trainer, upskilling his clients in the areas of sales, customer success and market innovation. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, he co-authored and became MD of Sell Squared, the world’s first MBA equivalent in Sales Leadership. Having received numerous awards including The National Enterprise Award for Innovation and an All-Ireland Business ‘All-Star’, Peter’s reflections on his entrepreneurial escapades are funny, insightful, razor-sharp realistic, yet always inspirational.

Experience is the foundation of resilience in business, for it is the lessons learned through providing exceptional customer experiences that fortify a company’s ability to weather any storm“

Brian Pennie, PhD Owner, Change is Possible Limited

Brian Pennie is a former heroin addict turned doctor who’s on a mission to show people change is possible. Since embracing his second chance at life in 2013, he has become a doctor of neuroscience and psychology, a lecturer at Trinity College and University College Dublin, an executive coach to some of Ireland’s most influential leaders, and a consultant to some of the world’s largest organisations (Ernst and Young, Flutter, and Sanofi). He is also a keynote speaker, author, founder and CEO of Change is Possible, and has reached millions of people with his online content at www.brianpennie.com. By combining his lived experience with his academic expertise, Brian’s session will focus on resilience, or more specifically, moving beyond resilience, by using adversity as fuel for growth.

To be resilient, especially in our post-covid world, involves an ability to ex and bend with our ever-changing and uncertain landscape. We are not born resilient, nor does it come naturally. Resilience develops through our lived experience, forged over time by learning how to overcome adversity”

Exceptional

Chris Hamilton CIP Chris Hamilton CIP Mobile: 086 041 2761 Mobile: 086 041 2761 Email: chamilton@oib.ie Email: chamilton@oib.ie

Wayne Kwan CIP Wayne Kwan CIP

Mobile: 083 202 1240 Mobile: 083 202 1240

Email: wkwan@o Email: wkwan@oib.ie

40 years of Irish Gifting

As Carroll’s Irish Gifts hits a milestone year in retail, we speak to founder Colm Carroll on lessons learned after an incredible 40 years of trade, and discover more about the man behind the business

Four decades in Irish retail is no small feat, to say the least, and founder and chairman of Carroll’s Irish Gifts, Colm Carroll – and former REI Chairman from 2018 to 2019 – naturally has a lot to celebrate.

“I celebrated 40 years in business last year. It is a milestone I am incredibly proud of, particularly as we have survived a di cult few years through Covid pandemic – this was was specially tough for tourism-related businesses – but I believe we have

Colm’s Tips:

• You must enjoy what you do or you will nor survive the highs and lows of a business career.

• Business success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.

come out of it leaner, sharper, more e cient,” he says.

Almost right away he credits his team, a “young, dynamic and strong professional workforce,” led by CEO Peter Hyland and Colm’s ve children Jonathan, Adam, Keith, Scott and Amy, as key tools to success for the next four decades, but before we look ahead, it makes sense to go back to before the journey began.

Starting out

Born in Walkinstown in Dublin in

December 1955, Colm describes the area as a, “tough, working class area, but one with great community spirit – I have nothing but very happy memories from my childhood there.” He comes from a large family of six children and says he was exposed to a little of what he would eventually master – selling quality products to the public – thanks to his hardworking parents.

“Both my parents worked really hard, with my mother supplementing our income by knitting jumpers and cardigans to sell or barter with the neighbours for other goods.” This hardworking ethic rubbed o on Colm, even if he didn’t quite realise it right away. “My father was a wonderful man who lived for his family, but he had no aspirations of wealth and would have been fearful of taking risks and incurring debt. My mother, on the other hand, was from Roscommon from a family of 11 and was extremely hard working and always encouraged us to better ourselves. She would save every penny possible, and often went down to the Post O ce to lodge as little as 50p.“ “There was no early showing of entrepreneurial skills on my side really, but I always had an evening or weekend job,” he continues.

“Including collecting old newspapers door-to-door in a bockety pram for 6p per load.” He had a few hiccups, naturally, in the early days. “I also delivered meat on a butcher’s pushbike, until one day, I abandoned the bike and a full load of meat after being attacked by a bunch of neighbourhood dogs who obviously smelled all the meat! They had a feast, but I lost my job,” he remembers.

A seed planted

The early days of his childhood were lled with memories of Irish music – something you’ll always hear in a Carroll’s store. “All six children in the family ( ve boys and one sister) were enrolled in the Municipal College of Music in Chatham Street to learn to play classical music when I was around seven. We also joined the local Ceoltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Music Association where we learned to play traditional Irish music and songs.”

And the family were talented. Colm explains their training paid o as

they reached their early teens. “Music became a huge part of our lives when from about 12 years of age we started to play professionally at various concert venues around Ireland. We appeared on many TV shows from Opportunity Knocks with Hughie Green, The Val Doonican Show to many appearances on The Late Late Show with Gay Byrne.”

“When we were still in school, we joined Jury’s Irish Cabaret, an Irish Cabaret featuring Irish singers, comedians and musicians playing mainly for tourists. The show was on seven nights per week for seven

entrepreneur and lecturer. My friend from the markets was a student there helped me sneak into the lectures.”

In short, his hardworking, entrepreneurial days really began then. “During my four years in the Civil Service, I wholesaled product to my work colleagues and held down two other jobs, with music at night and retailing in the markets at the weekends. My main products for sale were kitchen foil, kitchen towels and bales of toilet rolls bought from a factory in Finglas. My parents sitting room at home was my warehouse.”

It was in 1976, Colm left the Civil

“This was the rst of many ‘allor-nothing risks’ I took in the early years,” he continues, adding that he worked seven days a week, 12 hours a day in the early days, taking no holidays and losing touch with many friends to get his retail career o to the best start he could, but he wouldn’t have had it any other way. “I loved every moment of what I was doing.”

Fast forward to 1986, Colm opened his rst city centre store in O’Connell Street, and in 1996, he bought the O’Connell Street property, “one of the prodest days of my business life.”

“I ploughed every penny I had into Easter Eggs and opened on Good Friday 1982. The entire shop was full of Easter eggs and nothing else! As luck would have it, the local supermarkets sold out early and I was the only shop with eggs.”

months of the year and we played in that for about 12 consecutive years,” he continues, adding that it was this mix of travel and tourism that planted a seed of the change to come, as Colm explains. “We toured all over Europe and America where we performed in many venues including Carnegie Hall and the Boston Symphony Hall, and this showed me a di erent side of life and the bene ts and lifestyles that could be had if you earned money. It also sowed the rst seeds of how important tourism is to the Irish economy and possibly the potential of starting an Irish giftware retail company.”

Though it was, he says, a move to Castleknock at aged 15, that changed the course of his life. “Moving to Castleknock in my teens and meeting people with wealth and starting a market stall business venture with one of my friends changed the direction of my life,” he continued.

Changing course

“I didn’t attend university – I went straight from school in 1972 and worked as a Clerical O cer in the Civil Service. I did however, make a dash at lunch hour from my workplace in Merrion Square to UCD Bel eld to attend the business lectures of John Teeling who was a dynamic

Service (much to the upset of his parents who worried about the lack of stability and no pension), to set up a wholesale and retail business with a friend from his market days, Paul McGlade. “We set up three Apollo 1 Discount Stores in Dublin. This was one of the rst Discount Store chains to open in Ireland and it was phenomenally successful. Paul and I travelled to Hong Kong and around the Far East, purchasing and importing products.”

“Despite a fantastic relationship with Paul, I decided that I wanted to start my own business and opened my rst small shop in Dundrum in 1982 – Bargain King Discount Stores with a €10,000 bank overdraft from Bank of Ireland and nothing else except the experience I had gained and the contacts I had developed over the previous years.”

And the deciding factor in the success of Colm’s rst solo business venture? Easter eggs.

“I ploughed every penny I had into Easter Eggs and opened on Good Friday 1982. The entire shop was full of Easter eggs and nothing else! As luck would have it, the local supermarkets sold out early and I was the only shop with eggs so I sold out entirely by Sunday afternoon and my new retail career had started successfully.”

Carrolls Irish Gifts is born Carroll’s was born in the late 1990s when Colm and his co-Director Lorcan O’Connor decided they needed to specialise. And so, Carroll’s Irish Gifts opened for St Patrick’s Day 1998.

Carroll’s Irish Gifts now employ 350 colleagues hailing from 33 di erent countries, with 19 stores throughout Ireland in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Galway and Kilkenny. “We are the largest Irish Gifts retailer in the country. We also export to more than 90 countries worldwide through our website,” Colm adds.

The business has survived many upand-downs over the years – including a pandemic – and is still going strong.

“With no tourists during Covid, we had to change our business model radically. We identi ed a gap that Irish customers wanted an Irish gift which represented quality and

value. We brought in new ranges and products that thankfully, the domestic Irish market wanted,” he continues.

“Carroll’s also introduced a new policy of embracing new emerging brands from young Irish designers, and providing them with a platform to sell their products throughout Ireland and worldwide on our website. Carroll’s will continue to be an Irish gift store, but are expanding our ranges to include new categories in wellness, beauty, homewares and hampers. We get Irish gifting – we’ve been doing this for 40 years.”

“I take great pride in watching the team we have pulled together taking on the challenge of driving the

business for the next 40 years,” he says while adding that now just might be the time he starts to take his foot o the gas.

“I am here as a mentor and support the Board when needed. I hope to take more holidays with my wonderful and supportive wife Annette.” And other hobbies? He’s active and loves the water, particularly boating, he plays golf, “but badly!” has been know to slope o for some skiing in the winter months. But, Carroll’s is never too far from his mind. “I still love walking the stores and speaking to my colleagues, and am as excited about opening our 20th store as I was with my rst.”

“With no tourists during Covid, we had to change our business model radically.

Expanding the Realm of Retail

SFW Distribution, owned by the Fagan family, is a 41-year-old business which continues to go from strength to strength, even with the challenges of post-pandemic retail

“Initially, we specialised in the distribution of video\DVDs for the major lm studios, with gaming from Sony to PlayStation and so on,” Vincent Lynch, a Director in the company explains. “We’re very proud to still be trading today.”

The reason for over four decades of success, is likely down to the fact that co-Directors Stuart and Declan Fagan expanded their impressive o ering,

and began to diversify into pop-up retail and other distribution opportunities.

In 2012, they opened the rst pop up Halloween Store on Patrick Street, Cork, and it was the following year in 2013, the Fagans’ partnered with Vincent to launch Halloween HQ, with 13 high-pro le pop up seasonal stores. They more than conquered the pop-up space and have since opened over 300 Halloween HQ stores throughout Ireland and the UK.

“This year, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Halloween HQ and we plan to open 15 stores across Ireland with some new, exciting in-store features and a doubling of the product range,” Vincent continues, before explaining they didn’t stop at all things Halloween, even with the pandemic.

“We established a partnership with the largest party company in Party City\ Party Delights and in 2019, we opened Europe’s largest party store at Li ey Valley, as well as creating a partnership with Liverpool Football Club to open o cial club pop-up stores in Ireland. Since then, we have opened 15 hugely successful LFC stores. And while Covid put a roadblock on our expansion plans, in 2022, we opened two more party superstores in Ireland at Mahon Point and Pavilions, Swords. The plan for 2023 is to add up to another three party stores in Ireland.”

“We also completed the acquisition of the Party Delights store in Manchester, and the same year, launched a concept party concession store in Asda Supercentre in Nottingham.”

“We now o er a full retail pop up solution for brands that want to activate in the Irish and UK markets,” he says, proudly.

He mentions Hale Vaping, launched by the group in 2014, as another highlight.

“In 2014, we launched Hale Vaping which is now Ireland’s number one Vaping Brand, with 70 Hale vape stores and in over 3000 convenience stores nationwide, including Musgraves, Dunnes, BWG and Applegreen. We currently have a network of over 70 Hale Stores across the country, adding another six in the past 12 months. We continue to look for retail locations for Hale and will continue to expand the retail network in the coming years.”

ALWAYS ON TREND

Anne Colgan, Managing Director of Get That Trend explains the ever-growing need for online retailers to be present and evolving in 2023

Get That Trend is one of Ireland’s largest online fashion retailers. Founded in 2013, it is a family-run, female-led business who pivots as trends dictate to meet the needs of their customers. “Our company ethos is all about bringing our customers the products they want, exactly when they want them. We pride ourselves on having a dynamic, energetic team that can anticipate the latest trends and deliver them to our target market in a speedy, customer-focused approach,” she explains of the advantages of being an online retailer.

“As an online retailer, we have unlimited opportunities to reach a much larger customer base than with our retail store alone. We can bring solutions to customers’ fashion needs at the click of a button, from the comfort of their own home,” she continues. “Customers who can’t visit our retail store can still enjoy our excellent range of products and experience rst-class customer service.”

Anne says the team pride themselves on providing customers with the latest trends at competitive prices, but that they are always looking ahead, mindful of the challenges Brexit and the Cost of Living crisis, for example, has brought to online retailers.

“As we navigate 2023 and previously unchartered e-commerce territory, meeting and surpassing our customer expectations remains our goal with an increased focus on a customised personal experience. With the current Cost of Living crisis, we always strive to meet our customer’s demands with on-trend, a ordable fashion. Brexit also continues to be a challenge, with lengthy delivery turnaround times – this means we continuously use a model where we stay ahead in terms of our supply requirements by researching and forecasting our customer demands,” she adds.

“As we go into the early months of 2023, we are delighted to be experiencing a positive start to the year with a huge demand for occasionwear in particular. It’s brilliant to see all celebrations back on track, after the limitations of the last number of years.”

For more information: getthattrend.com

The amountrightof SPARK

Family-run business Joyces of Wexford, are gearing up to celebrate 80 years in retail.

Co-founder Derek Joyce explains why they are still going strong, eight decades on

Founded by brothers Derek and Murt Joyce and Derek’s son’s Ciaran and Cillian, Joyces has an impressive 16,000 sq. ft premises with wide range of top brand names in appliances, TV, Audio, IT and homewares – everything and anything tech-based under one roof, essentially. From Apple to Bosch, Dyson, Miele, Song, Smeg and Whirlpool, they have an extensive brand o ering.

Excellent customer service is another key element Derek believes keeps customers coming back.

“We strive to provide an excellent customer experience, and have a dedicated customer service team in store who are passionate about providing the superior customer service. When Murt Joyce opened his hardware store on Wexford’s Main Street 79 years ago, customer service was a priority for him and continues to this day.”

However, this doesn’t mean Joyces are not evolving. “We developed an online presence via Joyces.ie several years ago and experienced a signi cant uptake in trade during the pandemic. Recently we have integrated a new website with our EPOS provider to further streamline our operations to be more e cient.”

“Our retail professionals undergo continuous training with our supply partners to provide the latest information on our product o erings and a number of these are also presently undergoing retail training courses,” he continues.

Joyces are a member of Expert Ireland, Ireland’s largest electrical retailer group (they have over 60 stores nationwide), having been a member for over 20 years, with Derek a member of its Board.

“Expert Ireland’s goal is to deal with market leading brands and o er customers the best value for money, and we continue to avail of the best pricing from leading brand names to bene t our customers.”

As they gear up to celebrate 80 years in 2024, Derek, Murt and their team are looking forward to a successful year combining their wealth of experience in store and on-line to bring the best of electrical retailing to Wexford and beyond.

For more information: joyces.ie

Just what the DOCTOR ordered…

Ronan Mulligan explains what he hopes Clonmel’s newest state-of-the-art pharmacy will mean to the local community

“Mulligans, a community hub pharmacy with a di erence, has just opened its doors at its newest location in Clonmel as it further extends its store footprint in Ireland,” its Director, Ronan Mulligan happily explains.

But this is no ordinary pharmacy. It is, as he rightfully points out, a hub which serves the customer in a multitude of ways. This new store, 4000 sq. feet in total, features four retail zones that include a pharmacy, a beauty hall, as well as a gift and fragrance gallery, all on the ground oor. There’s also a rst oor café, with a further expansion on the way.

“Phase two of this project is already in planning with a 3000 square feet Medical Centre located in an adjoining building,” Ronan says. “This will will be lined by a pedestrian walkway at the rear of the store, completing the Health & Wellness Ecosystem Mulligans believe will create a destination for customers across the South East.”

While there may be a su cient number of pharmacies in Ireland, Mulligans, he continues, believes many of them may not always be in the right locations to service a changing and dynamic population.

“Post-pandemic, the challenge for many businesses was to attract customers back into town centre locations, given many had discovered new ways of shopping closer to home. So, the solution, if the company were to continue trading in Clonmel, was to nd a building that was very recognisable to the community and its people – one with real historical signi cance,” Ronan adds. “This was how they came to choose

the old Post O ce, a red-bricked building in Gladstone Street built in 1901.”

“The store has many features that connect it to it’s past, with its arching external windows (one containing the old post o ce clock), wonderful brick detail and high ceilings throughout the inside of the buildings. Work is currently underway to create a large mural internally that will evoke the history of Clonmel and the part that this building played in it.”

The store has a boutique-feel with soft, sustainable lighting throughout with trailing plants everywhere to be seen – all designed to make the customer feel even more at home in this unique location. The planting and trees (although mostly arti cial) throughout the store were part of an ‘urbanisation’ project Mulligans’ had for this site, with the aim of bringing a little bit of the outdoors, indoors.

“Mulligans are very keen to emphasise this as a community space, particularly around health and wellness,” Ronan says. “We want to be able to work with others to use the building outside normal operating hours. And we need to continue to innovate and place the customer at the heart of everything, and we can only do this with great people working within the company.”

For more information: mulliganspharmacy.com

Town Talk

of the

REI speaks to the experts in the know about the vibrant rejuvenation plans for Limerick city

etail Excellence Ireland recently went on a walk-through of Limerick city with Cecilia Larkin, Senior Executive O cer of Limerick City and County Council, and Matthew Brown, Retail Futurist at Echochamber to discuss the e orts planned for a revitalisation of retail in the city. Below, Cecilia and Matthew give insight on the ongoing plans and works to rejuvenate its retail centre.

“What struck me about Limerick retail is how photogenic so many of the streets and retailers are,” Matthew says when asked what caught his eye during the walk-through. “The centre of town combines a great mix of traditional and contemporary with shopfronts that are unique, charming, and very creative – whether they’ve been there one year or 100.”

Street art is used to maximum e ect, he says, to further entice customers to visit various stores as they wander the streets – with the street architecture getting a re-vamp also. “There’s a really nice focus on creative street art, which is used both in retail, and on the streetscapes. The street architecture is being modernised in a very positive way, even though I know businesses are impatient for lots of the roadworks to be nished!”

Limerick City and County Council are also very committed to driving regeneration of the city centre and supporting retail ventures both established and new, explains Cecilia, as a representative of the local council.

“We’ve partnered with city traders to nd innovative ways of increasing footfall and dwell time within the city centre, continuing to work on a schedule of street events, recreational areas and enhanced streetscapes to provide interest to shoppers and visitors to the city.”

“World-class urban regeneration is a complex co-operation between city, councils and planners, architects, and retailers themselves,” Matthew continues, adding there is much the city is getting right at this stage. “Established national brands like Brown Thomas are demonstrating their commitment to the city, but what is also very positive is to see, is small independent retail driving, and continuing to, invest. From O’Connell’s butcher, which is a fantastic traditional butcher shop with glorious design and merchandising, to Duo; a new ethical wellness store founded as a stylish community focused concept during the pandemic – physical retail is the heart of town.”

As well as the current positives, there are a

number of initiatives Limerick City and County Council are taking part in to help the process along and encourage retailers to set up shop.

“The good news for retail is the population of Limerick City is steadily increasing. As its economic transformation continues, the time is ripe for further retail outlets to open here.”

“To encourage new retail businesses to set up, the council have announced a start-up grant of €6,000 to help o -set the t out costs for edgling enterprise. On rate bills up to €30,000 per year, a further 13.5% rebate to a maximum of €1500, can be claimed under the Small and Medium Business Support Scheme 2023, subject to various conditions (rates must be paid in full by direct debit by 31 December 2023 or by 31 July 2023 if using any other payment method),” Cecilia continues. “Retailers can also avail of our award-winning social media platform by linking in with our marketing department.”

Big plans ahead

The development of the city is continuing at pace, she says, adding there are already a number of projects underway. “Limerick Council established a dynamic property development company, Limerick Twenty Thirty, to plan and develop key sites in Limerick city. These key sites include Gardens International on Henry Street with 80,000 sq ft of o ce space which is complete and operational. Work has started on the single biggest urban development project ever undertaken in

Limerick, The Opera Centre on Patrick Street and Ellen Street. This will bring up to 3,000 people to work and live in the city centre. Limerick Council have also been awarded €166m to develop the World Class Waterfront, the Cleeves Riverside Quarter and a number of pedestrian bridges and infrastructure projects along the Shannon riverfront.”

“These are just some of the projects Limerick City and County Council are involved with to drive the regeneration of the city centre to increase the number of people working and living here, and there has also been a substantial increase in private investment in retail, residential and o ce accommodation across the city centre.”

“Great retail is about wow design and display, great storytelling, curation and personalisation. Most importantly, it’s about great service, hospitality and community,” Matthew continues, adding this is what Limerick is both consistently doing and striving for as it revitalises its town centre in particular.

“The pandemic has shown us all that physical retail; and getting out shopping, chatting, meeting up with friends in vibrant town centres is more important than ever. The Retail Excellence Ireland Awards constantly demonstrate that Irish retail is already world-class, so alongside nourishing local businesses and incubating new brands, Limerick could also bring new national and international brands to town. The key is giving it a unique edge, rather than a cookie cutter approach.”

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A New Way To Pay

With the cultural shift from cash to card accelerating, processing card payments in a stable, resilient way has never been more important. AIB Merchant Services’ (AIBMS) market leading Clover Terminal range provides the perfect solution for businesses

AIB Merchant Services’ Clover Terminals provides businesses with a lightning fast, highly stable connection to card payments that enhances the functionality of your point-of-sale. Not only does it t perfectly into any retail environment, but when integrated into your till system, a Clover Terminal allows quicker and slicker processing of payments. It also removes reconciliation issues from human error and provides a resilient payment infrastructure for the business. Paul Ryan, Integrations Manager at AIBMS, explains its easy and secure functionality will appeal to retailers. “I have worked with a wide array of terminals over my career but nothing is equal to Clover when it comes to integrations with till systems,” he says.“Clover is simple to integrate with, and gives you a fast, stable and resilient integrated set up for your business.” As payment by card becomes the customer’s preferred payment method, you can quickly enable card payment integration in your business that is EMV compliant and easily developed, he adds. Each step

Paul Ryan, Integrations Manager

For more information on the AIBMS Clover Terminals www.aibms.com/webinars/ integrating-your-clover-device-withyour-epos/?utm_source=RT323

“The integration was a success from day one. Everything went according to plan, and Aidan and Paul were amazing when it came to our implementation, training and staff. And as usual, Mickey and Helen went the extra mile to make sure the implementation was a success. We couldn’t be happier, and recommend the brilliant AIB Merchants Services team for the seamless move to Clover.”

Clover integrations are built to be fast, stable, and synchronised with your point of sale:

1 Your pointof-sale initiates a request.

2 Clover receives the request and processes the payment.

3 Clover then provides a response.

of the transaction is reported to the point-of-sale via events, which the point-of-sale can act upon to modify the customer experience. Speed is another reason Clover is proving so popular, Paul continues. “The speed of the transactions that we are seeing with Clover as an integrated payment terminal are incredible, we have seen businesses processing payments 5-6 seconds quicker than previously which is massive in a business environment.”

If you’re looking to optimise your payments system, contact Owen Ball, AIBMS

National Clover Sales Manager: Owen.Ball@aibms.com or 0867715973

at AIBMS

Pamela Scott has only good words to say about the move to Clover.

Elida Di Biasi, Group Chief Financial Officer, Pamela Scott

Game Over for Greenwashing

Brands can no longer make vague, unsupported claims to be green. Customer scepticism and upcoming regulatory changes mean retailers will have to validate their green credentials, says Keith

Watt, KPMG’s Head of Retail

Bridging the trust gap with consumers

KPMG’s most recent Next Gen Retail study revealed most brands have work to do to convince consumers they are walking the walk on sustainability, with only a quarter (26%) saying they trust the environmental and sustainability claims made by brands. “Close to two thirds (63%) say brands must do more to inform them of their sustainability credentials. The same proportion agree that brands talk about doing positive things for the environment, but this doesn’t always re ect reality. Younger customers, those under 34, are the most likely to be sceptical of brands’ sustainability claims, with about 70% believing greenwashing is rife,” Keith says.

A crackdown is coming

As the Irish government’s Climate Action Plan stipulates, we must halve our national emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. That means every business must play its part – at home and abroad. “International consumer authorities and regulators are getting tough on greenwashing. Other EU states such as the Netherlands have compelled high-street retail brands to stop using potentially misleading terms such as ‘ecodesign’ and ‘conscious’. Soon, every product and service in the EU will be subject to strict greenwashing rules under a coming crackdown. Companies will soon be forced to back up their green claims with hard evidence under a draft European Union law,” he continues.

Keith Watt, Head of Retail, KPMG

Make use of funding, training and other support

The journey to sustainability can seem overwhelming, but the good news is you can receive extensive support and funding in the following ways:

• The Sustainability in Retail Handbook from Sustainable Irish Retail Action is one example, covering everything from retrofitting premises and production processes to supply chain improvements and revising your communications.

• Multiple funding sources and allowances are available to promote the circular economy, to support the purchase of energyefficient equipment, to adopt renewable heat and more.

• You can qualify for up to €1m per project from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland’s Excellence in Energy Efficiency Design (EXEED) programme, to become more energy efficient. Companies that export can avail of extensive green transition funding from Enterprise Ireland for both consultancy and capital projects.

• The Climate Ready initiative from Skillnet Ireland offers fully funded and subsidised training for businesses in climate action, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

EU will demand compliance

Under the new rules, any company making a green claim about a product or service will have to be able to prove it under a sciencebased methodology that covers 16 categories, including clean air and climate change, and across the entire lifecycle of the product. As well as this, the EU is also acting to weed out sneaky tactics, as Keth explains. “Any company that claims its product is sustainable in one way, will have to reveal if it has a negative environmental impact in another way.”

Understand what matters to consumers

Half of the consumers KPMG polled in late 2022 said sustainability was important to them when they buy cleaning products, with 48% saying the same of food and grocery shopping and 45% for clothing. About a third (36%) said it’s important for DIY and home improvement products to be sustainable. The story was similar for electronics (35%), furniture (35%), motor fuel (33%) and toys (30%).

Build trust through commitment and verification

Today’s consumer wants to be con dent they can believe speci c claims on packaging, such as ‘biodegradable’, ‘compostable’ or ‘carbon neutral’. Whether a brand is making claims about its carbon emissions, its water use, how it enables the circular economy or anything else, Keith explains they must be able to point to veri able credentials. “According to our research, 58% say there is not enough information available about brands’ environmental and sustainability credentials.”

Importantly, Keith says retailers can take steps themselves to ensure their customers have green con dence in their products.

“To secure consumer con dence, it’s vital to be able to show trustworthy veri cation. In Ireland, for example, businesses can seek to achieve the Business Working Responsibly Mark, which is veri ed by the National Standards Authority of Ireland.”

“It involves an audit-based assessment every three years. It incorporates best practices from international standards such as the Sustainable Development Goals and ISO standards.”

“Businesses can sign up to Champion Green or achieve the EU Ecolabel or the Fairtrade mark. These certi cations focus on everything from your energy e ciency to your supply chain, waste management to the circular economy.”

KPMG can help you or your business with your transition from brown to green. For further information, visit: kpmg.ie/retail

Niamh Higgins, Managing Director of TapCreative

How to create a standout, in-store shopping experience

In a world of new realities – from metaverse to tech and VR – it is more important than ever for physical retailers to create a standout brand experience for their shoppers, as Niamh Higgins, Managing Director of TapCreative explains

Shoppers still want a memorable in-store experience; it isn’t just about price. “As humans, we crave in-person connection and always will. Physical retail magni es this need,” explains Niamh Higgins, Managing Director of TapCreative. While shopping online has advantages, the in-store experience remains a unique one. “A product can be ordered online, but a trip to the store is made as part of a ‘brand pilgrimage.’ It is no longer enough for a store to simply be a place of transaction. It must also serve as a destination. A well-considered, well-designed environment creates a narrative with touches and stories that personalise the brand, deepening a connection.” Elevating relevant, accessible inperson engagement and creating places where connection can thrive, is the way forward. There are several ways retailers can create a strong brand experience in their physical stores:

2 Create compelling in-store events

The right events strategy is a great way to showcase your brand experience, drive footfall and build a sense of community. It should, though, rmly focus on the customer, their values, needs and experiences they crave. Think about themed events that can encompass di erent touchpoints across the store environment.

3 Build opportunities for community connection

Design your store to be more like a hub for social interaction and community engagement. Successful stores that shift beyond the transaction by o ering workshops and classes, hosting talks, and being a place where people can gather stand out. Using your physical space to foster connection and belonging attracts and retains customers.

4 Don’t forget about emotion

1

Provide an experience beyond the conversion Move away from the traditional ‘shop and stop’ attitude. Start creating post-purchase experiences that drive longer-term connections. Automated email series’ that go above and beyond the order con rmation is the norm now. Think of shareable videos or illustrations on personalised product care.

For more information: TapCreative is an award-winning agency, expert in retail design. www.tapcreative.ie

The best experiences are human, and people should always be at the centre of the most meaningful store experiences. Digital technology should never be seen as a replacement for human interaction but should embolden your brand’s unique attributes. Think about how you want your audience to feel as they walk away – what is the emotion you want them to feel? Investing in retail design that considers and ampli es brand experience throughout your physical store can help you win in today’s world. It can di erentiate you. Leading to deeper emotional connection and increased loyalty.

Remember, experience rst, technology second. Design the journey rst and then decide how technology can improve it. Technology is merely a tool and only bene cial when it improves moments along a customer’s journey in-store.

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Aislinn Lea, Director of Non-Food and Fashion Retail at Excel Recruitment

attract your retail stars (and keep!) How To

With staff shortages continuing to grow across the country, Aislinn Lea of Excel Recruitment details what employers can do to attract and keep their star teams

It’s a different world in retail, post-Pandemic, Aislinn Lea, Director of Non-Food and Fashion Retail at Excel Recruitment agrees. “Retail employee retention has always been challenging, but it has reached new heights since the pandemic. Retail workers are now seeking roles that offer greater work-life balance and more flexibility as well as the company being the right culture fit,” she says. Sourcing, training and onboarding new team members can be expensive, so it is worth investing in retention strategies to prevent high employee turnover. With this in mind, Aslinn says there are a number of key reasons good retail staff will start to think about leaving to be mindful of. And luckily, there are steps you can take to prevent this, as she explains below.

Why do great retail staff leave?

Progression

If employees have accomplished everything they can from their existing role, they will seek fulfilment elsewhere. Often candidates feel new companies will have more scope for this and that they will have a renewed sense of purpose by taking on additional responsibilities.

Salary

While salary alone does not make people leave, the cost of living is consistently increasing and it is important that wages are attractive for people to maintain a good standard of living.

How can you retain your staff?

Benefits and Salary

If your employees feel undervalued in their job, they will likely look for a new role. While salary is not a primary motivator for everyone, we all have a common interest to increase our basic pay. If increasing wages is not an option, other incentives such as increased annual leave, pension, medical schemes, retention bonus, and work hours flexibility will help.

Weekend Management

Every second weekend on/ off is proving to be popular among some retail partners. Introducing weekend management cover that allows your full-time management team to have their weekends off is also a plus. Hiring experienced individuals who used to be in the Retail Industry but left full-time work for various reasons, is a great way to give your full-time workers some flexibility.

Work Environment

Retail jobs can be monotonous, so it is important to give staff varied responsibility to make the employee feel valued and avoid the risk of boredom in their role. Negative workplace relationships can also contribute to people leaving.

Internal Promotions

If you leave a strong employee in the same position for too long, it can result in employee fatigue or boredom. It’s essential to introduce progression plans for your teams. Training & development opportunities will indicate to staff they are on a good career trajectory. The opportunity for a secondment where an employee can temporarily work on a different team or project is also a good option.

Communication

Clear communication is key. Sit down with your employees and have those essential conversations. What are their expectations? Where do they see their role going? How can they achieve their career aspirations in the company? Regular and positive appraisals will make the team feel more valued, and less likely to leave.

For recruitment assistance or advice, please contact Aislinn Lea on 086 8073544 or email Aislinn at: aislinn@excelrecruitment.com

Tommy Smyth, Tom Smyth & Associates

Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions Directive

The European Union (Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions) Regulations 2022 became law on 16 December 2022. Tommy Smyth provides an overview of what this means for businesses

This new directive amends a number of pieces of legislation and introduces several new and immediate requirements on employers in areas relating to:

• Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994

• Organisation of Working Time Act 1997

• Protection of Employees (Fixed-Term Work) Act 2003

• Workplace Relations Act 2015

Outlined here are some of the key changes resulting from this new legislation. These are not to be taken as formal legal guidance. As is normal with new legislation, proper guidance has not been given to support employers as to the meanings of some legal language.

Statement of Terms of Employment

Changes to 5 Day Statement of Terms

Under this new legislation, additional information must now be provided to employees as part of their core terms within 5 days of commencing employment.

• The duration and conditions relating to a probationary period.

• The place of work, or where there is no xed or main place of work, a statement con rming that the employee is employed to work at various locations or is free to.

• The title, grade, nature or category of work, or a brief description of the work the employee is employed to carry out.

• Commencement date of contract.

• Any terms and conditions relating to hours of work (including overtime).

One Month Statement of Terms of Employment

Parallel (Secondary) Employment

• Employers can no longer prohibit employees from taking up additional employment outside of their work schedule, or treat them adversely for doing so.

• If an employer wishes to impose an incompatibility restriction on an employee they must provide the employee with details of the objective grounds on which it is based, either in the contract of employment or in a written statement.

Objective grounds for imposing an incompatibility restriction include:

• Health and Safety

• Protection of confidentiality

• Avoidance of conflicts of interests

• Safeguarding productive and safe working conditions

• This may require clients to update their current language regarding parallel or secondary employment with immediate effect.

Another key change is that all other terms of employment, which previously had to be provided to an employee within two months of commencing, must now be provided within one month.

• This one-month statement must now also include the following additional terms:

• The training, if any, to be provided by the employer.

• In the case of temporary agency workers, the end user or rm hiring the worker.

• If the work pattern is entirely or mostly unpredictable, the statement must inform the employee;

• That the work schedule is variable,

Probation

Probation periods can no longer exceed 6 months in duration, except in the case of public servants (maximum 12 months) or exceptional circumstances (the definition of which is yet to be clarified). Probation periods can, however, be extended by the duration of any employee absence. Probationary periods included in fixed-term contracts must be proportionate, taking account of the duration of the contract and the nature of the work. Where a fixed-term contract is renewed, the employee cannot be subject to a new probationary period. For any employee who is currently subject to a probation period exceeding 6 months, and/or who has completed at least 6 months of their probation period, their probation will automatically expire on February 1st.

the number of guaranteed paid hours and remuneration for any work carried out in addition to those hours.

• The reference hours and days within which the employee may be required to work.

• The minimum notice period the employee is entitled to before commencement of work.

• The identity of social security institutions receiving the social insurance contributions attached to the contract of employment and any protection relating to social security by the employer.

• For employees who are required to work outside the State, the statement must now also include the country or countries in which work is to be performed and its duration.

Any change to information provided must be noti ed to the employee on or before the date the change takes place. This legislation also introduces new obligations on employers in terms of the statement of terms provided to posted workers, which are not covered here.

Any statement provided to employees must be:

• Provided in writing.

• Signed and dated on behalf of the employer.

• Sent in paper form, or accessible to an employee in a form that can be printed and stored.

• The employer must retain proof of transmission or receipt in either hard copy or electronic form.

• We recommend that employers issue all new employees with their contract of employment prior to

commencing their new role. In doing so, the employer can meet all legal obligations provided for in both the 5 day and one month statement.

Transition to another form of employment

Under this new legislation, employees who have completed their probation period and have been in continuous employment with the employer for at least 6 months, can now request a form of employment with more predictable and secure working conditions. An employer must give a reasoned response, in writing, within one month of a request. Employees can make this request once in any 12-month period.

Mandatory Training

Any mandatory training required by law or collective agreement must be provided to the employee free of charge, must count as working time, and where possible should take place during working hours. What exactly is meant by ‘mandatory training’ will require further clarity over time.

Working Hours

All work must now take place or be scheduled within the, now de ned, reference hours and days included in the employee’s written terms as outlined above. Where work is not within these reference hours and / or minimum notice has not been provided, the employee is entitled to refuse the work without fear of penalisation or sanction.

Recommendations for Employers

We recommend employers seek advice on any specific queries, however there are some key recommendations as a result of this legislative update:

• Employers should complete an audit of existing terms and conditions of employment (Contract of Employment / Employee Handbook) to ensure compliance with the new requirements outlined above.

• Employers should ideally provide all employees with a full contract of employment prior to their employment start-date. In doing so, employers can meet the requirements for both the ‘5-day terms’ and the ‘1-month terms’ in one central document. Employers must retain proof that the employee has received these terms.

• Employers should list all employees currently on probation and ensure there is clarity on their current end-date. Any revised end-dates should be communicated to employees and their line managers. We would remind you again that any existing probation periods longer than 6 months in duration automatically end on February 1st.

• Employers need to review current training processes and, from now on, any mandatory training (required by law or collective agreement) must be provided to the employee free of charge and, where possible, should take place within working hours. This will be considered as working time.

Safe & Secure

If you’re looking for a safe destination for your online business, David Curtin, CEO of .ie explains why a .ie domain should be your first choice

“There are a number of reasons to choose a .ie domain for your business website,” explains David, including its uniqueness in terms of an Irish retail identity, Google ranking and its security in protection from potential cyber attacks. If you’re in the process of setting up an online space, below he outlines the reasons why a .ie domain is so trusted in the retail community.

It’s unique to Ireland

A .ie website tells the global community that you are Irish and tells the Irish community that you are local.

New domain applicants are vigorously reviewed

As part of the domain registration process, every .ie applicant must provide tangible evidence of identity and connection to Ireland. Applications from new customers are manually reviewed by the .ie team to ensure they meet this requirement.

“We also provide an extra layer of security to owners of .ie domain names, free of charge. This service provides a periodic scanning of .ie websites and involves instant noti cation to an SME’s hosting provider, who can help them take the corrective action when a scam has been detected.It’s an invaluable service, as it helps innocent victims, who might be unaware that they have experienced a cyberattack on their website.”

It’s trusted

Consumers will have confidence in your business – .ie is a well-established and trusted domain. And according to the recent .ie Domain Profile Report 2022, 77% of Irish consumers prefer a .ie website when buying online, instead of a .com domain.

It ranks higher in Google

.ie addresses rank higher than .com addresses on Irish based search engines like Google. ie.There’s is also a wider choice of available .ie domain names to choose from.

Safety protocols are a priority

“We have established consumer protection protocols with the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau and national regulatory bodies to address online illegality and permit ‘take-down’ of .ie websites under certain circumstances,” David continues. “We also achieved industry standard ISO 27001 security certification, which validates that an organisation manages and mitigates its cybersecurity risks effectively.”

For more information: weare.ie

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The Government’s Cycle to Work Scheme

• Help to implement and promote this great flexible benefit to sta

• bikes2you manages the scheme rules for the employer to ensure compliance

• A simple user-friendly paperless application process, only a mobile phone is required

• Your employees visit their partner bike store and request a quotation

• The bikes2you employee portal will guide them through the entire process

• Automatic electronic invoicing for one or multiple bikes when you want it, with a PO number if required

• Full company management reports available online