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6th December 2011 • Volume 18, Issue 36 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • ISDN 8139966 • Tel: 8•400•200
A registered newspaper at the G.P.O.
Buy Their Presents In A Real Shop The new phenomenon of Internet shopping is fast becoming a major threat to retail sales across the North County in the approach to Christmas. Consumers nationwide are expected to shell out a whopping €257 million in the run up to Christmas. These startling figures clearly demonstrate an emerging change in shopping trends and must be viewed as a wake up call to retailers here in the North County.
By Patrick Finnegan This news has sparked a very spirited response from Chambers of Commerce throughout the North County, who are determined to win back supporters of “virtual shopping.” The County Leader spoke to the North County’s Chambers and they were all of the same opinion - Internet shopping is no substitute for the real thing. To reinforce this belief, some very interesting views and ideas were aired in an effort to get people back into local shops. Everyone accepted that something needs to be done urgently to keep shoppers in their locality. Louise O’Loughlin, Chairperson of Rush Chamber was aware of the threat and outlined some interesting proposals. “People will lose their sense of community and will become unaware of what local shops have to offer. Many times I’ve heard people say that they didn’t know that certain shops stocked particular items and that great deals were available. That’s what happens when you don’t browse your local shops,” she said. She also said that shop owners need to keep ahead of the game and to be aware of the various deals that are available to ‘on line’ shoppers. “This way, we can compete and offer better value. The
benefits of ‘Retail Therapy’ cannot be replicated by the click of a mouse. Shops need to be loyal to their customers by having discount days and supplying loyalty cards. In this way, they will get loyalty back in spades,” she said. Anthony Murphy, from the Retail Committee at Balbriggan Chamber spoke about the coldness and impersonal nature of internet shopping. “The internet is good for certain things, but what happens if an item you purchase doesn’t fit.? If you bought it in a shop and are unhappy, you can return it and get something else. Owner run and managed shops have a greater degree of personal service, which shoppers should expect. Internet shopping has a generic approach towards returns, which may not always turn out satisfactorily. “Money should not be the overriding factor and internet sales are not always the cheapest.” He also emphasised another advantage to shopping in your local shop. “Shop owners are at liberty to discount items as they please and accept bartering from customers. This adds to the unique atmosphere of local shopping - something the internet cannot replicate,” he said. President of Malahide Chamber, Al Ryan was in agreement with these sentiments when he said, “Local businesses in our town recognise the challenge of the internet and other competition. We have to communicate the message that nothing beats the personal service our members offer. Supporting local businesses
develops relationships. Our retailers get to know you and your needs, so that they can cater to you as an individual.” He went on to mention the effect that internet shopping will have on local jobs. “If you have any reason to be unhappy with your choices, the person you need to speak with is just down the road, not in a remote call centre. Shopping locally is convenient and offers customers the human interaction that is an essential and fun part of the shopping experience.” “I think everyone knows at this stage that shopping locally is also crucial to maintaining jobs, services and a vibrant commercial centre in our community,” he said. Meanwhile, Skerries already had an initiative in place through their Super Christmas Bonanza Week, which encouraged locals to avail of the many great bargains in the town. President of Skerries Chamber, Martin Scully was definite about what needs to be done. “This is a festive town and every shop is competing on price, with discounts and loyalty cards. We need to keep business going and if people do as much shopping as possible locally, then we can regenerate the town. We need locals to stay local,” he said. CEO of Fingal Dublin Chamber, Tony Lambert was also supportive of local shopping when he said, “On line shopping is useful for people with very busy lifestyles, but there’s nothing to beat going into your local shop to purchase goods and services face to face and receiving great local service.”
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Pictured are representatives from all walks of life and leisure in the North County, who will be adversely affected by the building of the proposed Monster Sewage Plant. They handed in an estimated 10,000 letters of submission to the County Council last Friday. See our report on page 10
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