Christmas is just around the corner, and here in North County Dublin, local businesses are gearing up to prepare for what they hope will be their busiest time of year. This last quarter of the year is a crucial time for our local businesses and retailers, who have come to need a real boost in trade over the coming weeks, so it is vital that customers around the locality give them all the support they can.
While there are some wonderful shopping centres around the county offering great value this Christmas, there are also loads of fabulous shops in all our towns. Here you will encounter some wonderful bespoke shops offering charming traditional Christmas gifts. Shopping locally can be a really therapeutic thing, where you can shop in peace, meet friends and neighbours, enjoy the banter with your shopkeeper, while having lunch or a cup of coffee to unwind afterwards.
There really is no better way to start your Christmas shopping than in your home town, where there are many fantastic local stores, restaurants and hotels which have been situated here for many years. This is also where you can negotiate a bargain, and should you need to exchange a purchase, or if you run into any issues, you will be received by a friendly shopkeeper, who will be only too willing to make sure that your every need is swiftly met.
Years ago, often, the trend was to travel to the city centre to find the ideal gift for your loved one. With the growth of our towns and the presence of many retail brand names, there is no longer the need to travel to the city. The thought of travelling in long traffic jams and paying exorbitant car parking charges, or travelling on a packed bus, while taking your place in another queue in an overcrowded store, is enough to put you off Christmas shopping for good.
The situation with the weakness of sterling poses a real threat to our local retailers this Christmas, with many shoppers expected to head north expecting to avail of a bonanza due to the currency differential. This all adds up to a short term gain at the expense of the livelihoods of retailers who have served us with care and professionalism for the rest of the year. What happens if we abandon them at this, their most eagerly awaited trading season? The answer is that they may no longer be in business to provide for our needs at slacker times of the year.
Another consideration of shopping up north, is that if something goes wrong with the product you purchased, where is the back-up customer service that you get with a product bought locally? Add in the extra petrol to return the product and suddenly it doesn’t seem such good value after all. There really is no need to travel either to the city centre or up north, when it’s all here on our doorsteps, no matter where you live in the county.
North County Dublin can boast three fine shopping centres, namely the Pavilions in Swords, Millfield in Balbriggan, where you will find everything you need for the festive season, with a wonderful range of fine products at great prices. It’s all here for you right on your doorstep. CEO of Fingal Dublin Chamber, Tony Lambert said, “It’s great to have the Christmas season with us again, when we forget all our troubles and enjoy meeting family and friends and shopping is a very important part of this season. The Chamber always encourages people in the area to support our local shopping facilities, which provide an enormous range of wonderful products and services, which are suitable for all occasions.
In troubled times that we live in, it is very important for local people to remember that shopping locally is very important for the economic wellbeing of our entire community. The wonderful range of shops, as well as providing the great range of goods, also provides jobs in our local community and should be supported,” he said.
CEO of Balbriggan Chamber, Sean Corrigan said, “Balbriggan is on the cusp of significant change and is beginning to enjoy real economic recovery. However, there is a significant challenge facing retailers this Christmas – cross border shopping.
The retail sector in Balbriggan, having come through a very difficult period, particularly in the town centre, is slowly recovering. This recovery is being supported by a pilot The County Council funded grant scheme for shop owners to enhance their shop fronts and improve the town centre streetscape. The goal of the scheme is to ensure viability of the retailers and ensure that there is an attractive mix of shops to encourage residents and visitors to buy in Balbriggan.”
He continued,”The recent decline in the value of sterling has brought back the fear amongst retailers of an exodus of residents across the border to do their Christmas shopping. For many shopkeepers, Christmas is the time of year when they make most of their sales and the period that they depend on to ensure their viability into the new year.
Balbriggan Chamber of Commerce calls on all residents of Balbriggan to support their local shops in the run up to Christmas to ensure that these business are around giving local employment and service in the year ahead,” he concluded.