Making Cents: How to use your festive spending to help the local economy

Grainne McGuinness looks at how the Guaranteed Irish symbol has been representing businesses since 1974

Mon, 15 Nov, 2021 - 20:00

Irish retailers are hoping that Christmas 2021 will see a continuation of last year’s focus on buying local and Irish where possible. The pandemic brought home the importance of supporting local industry and the support remains crucial this year. Plus, at a time when there has been a lot of attention drawn to supply chain issues and concerns about deliveries, shopping from a local or Irish-owned store limits worries about purchases arriving in time for the big day.

One of the most recognisable signs a product comes from a business based in Ireland is the Guaranteed Irish symbol. The not-for-profit business membership organisation has been representing businesses in Ireland since 1974. Guaranteed Irish currently supports more than 1,600 business members, employing more than 100,000 people across Ireland.

Last year it unveiled a new website to help people who wanted their festive spending to help the local economy and is continuing those efforts this year.

“We want you to have a very merry Christmas, but we want to make it all the merrier by having a #GuaranteedIrishChristmas, ensuring your local community and businesses are supported, spreading love and generosity to those around you,” the organisation said.

Getting the Guaranteed Irish G under the Christmas Tree means you’re gifting both your loved ones and the widespread community.

The GuaranteedIrishGifts.ie shop window showcases hundreds of authentic Irish gift ideas online. Products are broken down into a range of categories, including sport, textiles and accessories, artisan food and drink and beauty and skincare. If you are stuck for ideas, the organisation is also running a six-week blog series of suggestions, starting with an assortment of gift ideas for women.

There are plenty of Irish-owned options when it comes to shopping for the younger members of the family, whether you prefer to buy online or go in and choose your purchases in person.

Multi-outlet retailers like Smyths Toys and World of Wonder also have online stores with clear guidance around delivery times, and there are plenty of smaller Irish retailers selling online. Cork-based Pinocchio's Toys and Gifts offer flat rate shipping nationwide while CrazyMonkey.ie, also based in Cork, specialises in outdoor products such as scooters, pedal toys and Go-Karts. Funstuff.ie, which was established in Limerick, also stocks a wide range of ride-on and other outdoor toys. Many Irish retailers have already started promoting their Black Friday deals, so if you have a specific item in mind, now is a good time to start comparing prices and identifying the best deals.

Of course, Christmas shopping is about much more than just ticking items off a list. A trip to the shops to see the lights and enjoy and well-earned hot chocolate is a tradition as important as the panto in many households. While masking and social distancing advice remain in place, high streets and town centres around the country are encouraging people to get out and enjoy the festive buzz in a safe manner.

It is worth checking to see if your local authority is offering free or discounted parking to cut costs for families. In Cork city, Paul Street and North Main Street car parks have free parking on Thursday and Friday evenings for customers who enter from 6:30pm, continuing up until Christmas Eve. North Main Street car park closes at 9:30pm and Paul Street car park closes at midnight.

Christmas markets also offer shoppers the chance to support local designers and businesses while enjoying a festive atmosphere. In Cork, families will be able to shop and fit in a visit to the man in red at markets in the Mardyke and at on the Marina on Centre Park Road, while fans of local craft and design will be spoilt for choice at the Cork Craft and Design’s outdoor markets at St Patrick’s Woollen Mills on December 5 and 12. In Limerick, the Milk Market is dedicated to Christmas from December 3, with a record fair and an art fair among the special events planned during the month. And in Waterford, the Winterval will again see the city transformed into Ireland’s Christmas capital from November 19.

Pick of the Week

Sky is one of the companies that has already launched its Black Friday deals. It has a number of Sky TV packages on offer, none of which involve set-up fees and all of which come with a free €50 gift card when you join online.

The packages start from €30 a month for 12 months for more than 100 channels, including Sky Atlantic, and more than 500 boxsets. For €5 a month more, you can get the same package plus Netflix. There are also a number of options with various sports packages, costing between €50 and €60 for the first six months.

The gift card on offer is a prepaid MasterCard. Once customers have made their first subscription payment and been active for 30 days, they will be invited to claim the reward online at sky.com/claim. The card can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted, except for gambling, cash withdrawals, currency, cashback, or at petrol stations.