Consumers buying Irish, survey shows

IRISH consumers are donning the green jersey during the current economic crisis by making a deliberate effort to buy Irish goods and services as much as possible.

A new survey has revealed how Irish people are making conscious decisions to seek out native products in a bid to safeguard jobs and boost employment.

The vast majority of consumers – 83% of those surveyed – believe it is more important to buy Irish products than it was five years ago.

The report conducted by Amárach Research on behalf of Guaranteed Irish also revealed that 41% of people of 1,000 questioned said they buy Irish goods and services as often as they can.

Customers with children are more likely to buy Irish produce than any other category. Almost two-thirds said buying “Guaranteed Irish” helped them feel they were supporting Ireland and other Irish people in some way.

However, the survey highlighted a wide gap in the patriotic motive with young people aged 16-24 twice as likely as those aged over 55% to buy Irish for economic reasons.

One-fifth of the people surveyed said the “Guaranteed Irish” symbol provided them with peace of mind that they were buying genuine Irish goods.

An overwhelming majority said Irish companies should make every effort to highlight that their products or services were Irish.

Commenting on the results, Guaranteed Irish executive director, Tom Rea, said buying products and services which carried the “Guaranteed Irish” symbol made consumers feel they were doing their bit for the country at a time when many Irish people felt powerless to make a personal difference.

He claimed the brand represented the tipping point for consumers who wished to support Irish goods as it helped to differentiate them from competing, imported products and services.

At a time when many Irish people felt helpless about their ability to make a personal difference, Mr Rea said they recognised that buying “Guaranteed Irish” was something positive they could do to bolster the nation.

The survey showed that both young and older people as well as those in the lower social classes were least likely to have awareness of the symbol and what it stood for.