KEEP the festive spending local to make sure the goodwill keeps flowing on Shannonside this Christmas and into the New Year.
That was the message from the Irish SME Association (ISME), who has called on the people of Limerick to “consider shopping local this year to support their own communities and help maintain a vibrant buzz along main streets”.
“With only a few weekends of shopping to go, ISME is reminding consumers that every €1 spent locally on their Christmas shop could generate up to €4 in their community,” a statement from the organisation advocating for small-to-medium businesses explained.
“Shopping locally for goods and services returns multiples of the customers spend back to the community and helps local businesses maintain jobs in Irish towns and villages.”
A spokesman for the association urged Limerick shoppers to “ensure that they devote a proportion of their Christmas shopping to local bricks-and-mortar or Irish online stores, leaving only those hard-to-find gifts that can’t be sourced elsewhere to be purchased from larger multinational companies”.
And there’s plenty of local shopping opportunities to be had on Shannonside too, with local outlets opening later over the festive season, and the new Limerick Gift Card, supported by Limerick City and County Council and Limerick Chamber.
A selection box Christmas markets dotted around the county will also give an added opportunity to support local artists and craft makers and producers, including the Treaty City Brewery Festive Fair this Saturday (re-scheduled from last weekend on account of Storm Darragh) on Nicolas Street in Limerick City.
Coming weekends at the Milk Market will also feature a festive food and craft market, Limerick Suicide Watch’s open-air festive courtyard, and a number of other seasonal delights. The Milk Market will also be open on December 23 and 24 for those last-minute shoppers looking to get a locally-produced gift or goodie.
The Wickham Way market is also open each weekend until Christmas with an array of festive fare from local producers and artists, while the Brown Thomas Christmas store has been in full swing since late August.
ISME chief executive Neil McDonnell said the association is “hoping that consumers in Limerick will bring some Christmas cheer to Irish retailers this year and decide to shop locally”.
“By consciously choosing to buy locally, even a portion of our purchases can have a meaningful impact, as each euro spent locally can generate two, three, or even four times its value in community wealth.”
