Mayo retailers had a bumper festive season
Pictured at Lidl Castlebar was Trolley Dash winner Conall Quinn from Foxford who managed to grab over €350 worth of goodies making for A Magical Christmas with Lidl. Also in the photograph is Magda Kostecka (Duty Manager) and Kevin Kelly (Lidl Store Manager). Picture: Michael McLaughlin
Towns across Mayo have reported a strong Christmas trade.
Credit and debit card data for the first two weeks of December published by Bank of Ireland revealed that spending levels rose nationwide by 8% overall compared to the same period in 2022 and local businesses benefited from shoppers choosing to shop local.
Ballina Chamber of Commerce CEO Mags Downey-Martin said local businesses enjoyed strong Christmas sales.
“Two local businesses told me that their sales are up about 20% on Christmas 2022 and it was a very profitable holiday season for them this year,” she said. “All of our bars and restaurants had a good Christmas as well. We had a long run into Christmas Day from Sunday until the following Monday and our hospitality businesses were busy, most restaurants had been booked out well in advance.”
She said there is a greater emphasis on shopping locally among Ballina consumers.
“There is definitely a stronger ethos about shopping locally. We have been running Shop Local vouchers since 2016. Voucher sales catapulted during Covid and we thought they would come down now but instead, we posted record sales this year, surpassing a quarter of a million euro in sales. People are happy to stay local and source local products wherever possible.”
Anne Conlon, President of the Castlebar Chamber of Commerce, said local retailers experienced a similar bonanza.
“We had a very strong lead-up to Christmas, which then continued over the Christmas period.
“During Covid, a lot of people tried to support local and realised there was great value locally, that what they were looking for was already there.”
Ms Downey-Martin acknowledged that 2024 is going to be tough for local businesses, particularly with increases to the minimum wage. She said that the Chambers network would be calling for further business support where needed.
Ms Conlon said Castlebar Chamber will be in constant dialogue with its members to ensure they remain resilient into 2024.
“January and February are always quiet months but we have a lot of established businesses who have come through a lot and that will play to our strengths.
“We have a coffee morning on January 19 to bring members together with the head of the Castlebar MD David Mellett to talk about developing our town, to get a feel for whatever weaknesses we might have, as well as our strengths,” she said.
