Shop local this Christmas to keep the soul of Kilkenny alive and viable

The Christmas shopping season will launch in earnest next week with Black Friday on November 25. This year, many have already started shopping early as the cost of living crisis has led to less disposable income, and consumers spreading their Christmas shopping over a longer period to manage their outgoings. 

The same escalating costs will also mean that shoppers will be avidly looking for bargains this year. Recent Black Friday/ Cyber Monday research from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has found that just under 40% of consumers plan on purchasing during the upcoming sales, with those consumers expecting to spend an average of €400.

The same research also found that most consumers who are planning purchases said the price of the item would be the most important factor, with 23% saying that the discount is the most important factor. 61% of consumers said the level of discount would influence their decision to some extent. Somewhat ironically consumers expressed some cynicism too about the level of discounting offered in and around Black Friday. 

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The widespread price slashing encouraged by Black Friday predominantly suits larger, online retailers who can manage to absorb the ‘discounts’ now offered annually before Christmas, rather than after, as was once traditional. 

For independent retailers, being asked to dramatically discount before Christmas to compete with large scale brands is now becoming increasingly untenable. 

While acutely aware of the rising cost of all commodities and the legitimacy of trying to get value for money, I am asking everyone to stop before they buy from an international mega-brand this year, and instead consider shopping from a smaller, more local retailer or maker. 

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All shops are experiencing a severe spike in their energy bills and increased upward pressures in other areas such as insurance, rates and staff costs. For smaller independent businesses opening their doors to trade every day is becoming increasingly challenging, if not almost impossible. 

If we abandon local Kilkenny shops and businesses this Christmas, then there is now a very distinct chance that they may not be here next Christmas. This is not an hysterical overstatement but a bald statement of fact

Most retailers do the majority of their trading before Christmas, so it is a vital time of year for them. The cash they take in, in November and December, cushions them through the lean period from January through to Easter. If they don’t hear the tills ringing now, then they know they will be in trouble in 2023. 

Covid 19 was exceptionally difficult for most businesses and while many did pivot to trade online, they still do not enjoy the marketing budgets, digital expertise or online presence of larger international competitors. 

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Most shops now have a hybrid business model where they sell in their physical premises and to some degree online too. But to maintain this model they still need consumers to walk through their doors and spend, especially at Christmas.

The longevity of a healthy vibrant retail landscape for Kilkenny is utterly intertwined with how we as consumers shop this Christmas. 

Unlike many Irish towns, Kilkenny has maintained a distinctive and lively personality when it comes to shopping. Kilkenny continues to enjoy a healthy selection of independent and locally owned businesses that have traded successfully for decades, some for generations. 

So many Irish towns are now a ghost of their former selves - hollowed-out main streets devoid of any trading businesses except bookies, charity shops and vaping emporiums. As people have deserted smaller shops to shop online or in larger competitors, there has been a parallel decline in the material appearance of our shopping streets. 

If we want to maintain Kilkenny as a healthy, economically and socially viable centre, then we need to support its retailers, this year more than ever.   

There is no point shopping exclusively from Amazon now and then bemoaning empty retail spaces on Kilkenny streets later. Where you spend your money isn’t just about getting the cheapest price, it is also about keeping Kilkenny alive. How and where you shop is a political decision. 

So stop and consider: do you want to make Jeff Bezos even richer or would you prefer to spend your money with someone you know, who will pay rates to keep Kilkenny City attractive, taxes to keep the local economy afloat and who might even sponsor a local school sport’s team or charitable cause?   

Independent retailers offer originality and personality. They may not have the huge  offerings or mega discounts that the giants do, but they contribute exponentially to making Kilkenny the unique and lively city that we are lucky to enjoy. 

Local initiatives like Made in Kilkenny’s annual pop-up shop which offers authentic handmade Irish crafts of exceptional quality are what make this city special. So shop from Kilkenny businesses this Christmas and ensure that the city remains vibrant and economically healthy now and into the future. Lasting prosperity is more valuable than a fleeting bargain.