Retail therapy for recession-hit traders
A Cork couple have decided to throw open the doors of their supermarket to help other smaller businesses beat the recession.
Liam Ryan and his wife Diane spent €12 million recently, upgrading their SuperValu supermarket at the Crestfield Shopping Centre in Glanmire.
With a retail space of 27,000 sq ft, it is reportedly the biggest SuperValu in the country.
Liam decided that as part of the redevelopment, he would build on retail units which could be rented out by small businesses. However, the recession hit and there was no uptake.
Realising that smaller and particularly fledgling businesses were in danger of going under, he decided to offer them a helping hand.
His idea was to provide businesses in the wider Glanmire area the opportunity to showcase their products in his store for a very nominal fee.
This led to the formation of the Glanmire Business Network (GBN), which is the umbrella body now overseeing the showcasing.
They canvassed and the uptake was phenomenal, with more than 60 businesses enrolling to showcase their products. Each week a number of them will be given a turn to do this up until Christmas, but if the interest continues the period is likely to be extended.
The importance of supporting local enterprise was highlighted by GBN chairman John Gilroy.
A study undertaken by GBN in the greater Glanmire area – encompassing Glanmire, Little Island, Glounthaune, Watergrasshill and Knockraha – showed the average household spends €10,240 on goods per year and about €5,000 on services.
“This means that over €70 million is spent by the people of the area each year. We estimate that about 40%-50% of this is actually spent in Glanmire and hinterland itself. If we could encourage people to increase their spend by 10% locally we could create up to 70 new jobs and help sustain existing employment in the area,” Mr Gilroy said.
Mr Ryan said he was very pleased with the response already accorded to the first businesses to showcase their products in his store.
“It is very centrally located and there is a significant footfall in the supermarket so a lot of customers can see what these people have to offer.
“The trouble was that many people didn’t know these businesses existed, even though they were on their doorsteps. They couldn’t afford to market themselves much. These people need a break and we’re trying to give it to them,” Mr Ryan said.
“If we all try and spend our money in the community then more and more people will get a slice of it,” he added.
Liam and Diane Ryan own five supermarkets. The others are in Togher, Grange, Aherla and Kilmallock, Co Limerick.
“I’m also looking at these stores to see if we can utilise any space there to enable us to copy this initiative. The Glanmire initiative is being run as a pilot scheme, but to date the feedback has been absolutely brilliant,” Mr Ryan said.
At any one time six local businesses are getting a chance to showcase their wares around the Glanmire supermarket.
While more than 60 are lined up to take part, Mr Ryan said further interest was being expressed almost daily as word filtered through the community.
Kathleen Gethings, who runs Gethings Ceramics, couldn’t be happier with the move. “This initiative offers a brilliant opportunity for me to showcase my work to the people of Glanmire and beyond. As a sole artist I find it difficult to create and market my products,” she said.
“The support of the Glanmire Business Network has helped me reach out beyond my traditional market. Working together with other producers allows me to share resources within the network. Recommendations from my customers is very important to me and the GBN is the ideal way of achieving this,” Ms Gethings added.
JOHN HENNESSY lost his job in Pfizer two years ago and tried unsuccessfully to get work elsewhere, but he’s not letting the grass grow under his feet, literally.
“Gardening was always my hobby so I set up my own business recently called Greenshoots Gardening Services,” John said.
The married father-of-three works 90% of the time on his own and, as it is coming into a quiet period, says the timing of the Glanmire initiative couldn’t be better for promoting his service – as he has time on his hands to prepare for the next busy season.
Different businesses are getting a chance to initially take a week inside the supermarket to showcase themselves.
It will be John’s turn shortly and he’s eagerly looking forward to it.
He will be exhibiting what he terms ‘niche’ plants.
“I will showing people some unusual planting combinations. I also have a desktop slide-show available which I use to show people the jobs I have completed in various gardens,” he said.
He admits it’s tough enough at present in his business, because of the economic downturn and the fact that coming into the winter there is much less work in his field.
So it’s a godsend for him to get the opportunity to promote his business in a busy retail centre with lots of shoppers walking right past his exhibit.
“I hope it will drum up a lot more business for me in the future. I believe this is a great idea to foster more business in the Glanmire community. Liam Ryan has put his heart and soul into this and he’s only charging us a very nominal fee to exhibit in his supermarket. I’m sure it’s going to work,” John said.
SISTERS Nicole Bogue and Gabrielle Stepan recently started Little Giggles, a business that sells handmade baby clothes and gifts.
Nicole, 31, who previously worked as a teacher, and Gabrielle, 25, who graduated as a social worker, decided to make a go of it on their own and work out of Nicole’s house at Barnavarra Hill, Glanmire.
“Everything we produce is created by our own hands and we do the designs ourselves,” Nicole said.
The duo create “nappy cakes” – a tier design like a wedding cake made up of blankets, towels, bibs, burp cloths and baby-grows.
“We customise our orders and work to the budget given to us by the customer. So whether it’s a big or small order we can accommodate it,” Nicole said.
Most of the customers are people who are buying gifts for expectant or new mothers, rather than the mothers themselves.
“We also produce bouquets of baby clothes which look like bouquets of flowers,” Nicole said.
According to the sisters, business is “ticking over”.
They are also looking forward to exhibiting their wares in the local supermarket and hoping it will provide a welcome boost to sales.
However, it won’t be the first outlet to showcase their creations.
“Cafe Beva, which is also in Glanmire, is already stocking our products and that’s because the owners got to hear of them through the Glanmire Business Network, which is supporting projects along with SuperValu’s Liam Ryan.
“I think the showcasing will provide us with a big boost. We are due to go into SuperValu to exhibit our products on December 13,” Nicole said.
“IF everybody in their communities supported their local businesses then we’d be well out of this recession in no time,” Richard Coleman said.
The 29-year-old trained carpenter used to have a lot of work coming his way during the construction boom.
But when he realised it was coming to an end, the father-of -three decided to go out on his own.
His one-man company, EZI Attic Stairs, is really benefiting from the Glanmire showcase.
“I think I’ve found a niche in the market as we are offering a good product at a good price,” Richard said.
He has a working model of his products on display in SuperValu, which makes it much easier to show would-be customers how simple the attic stairs are to use.
“People are coming up to me and looking at the stairs and saying ‘I’ve meant to get one of them for years’.”
Richard, who is from Leamlara, near Midleton, also fits the stairs himself and offers two models.
“My attic stairs have very gentle springs so they open nice and easily. They also have a heavy hand rail on one side for safety,” he said.
He thinks Liam Ryan’s idea to allow local businesses to showcase their products will save many of them from ‘going under’.
“This was something really needed in the area. It could get my family over Christmas,” Richard said.
His business will get a leg up from the promotion, allied to the fact that instead of buying new houses, people are now concentrating on enhancing their own properties – and converting the attic is a popular choice.
TARA Sheridan runs Lámha Holistic Health & Skin Care and has spotted a noticeable downturn in some of the treatments she offers.
So she’s hoping that promoting her business in a supermarket can help negate that loss.
Tara runs the business next to her home in Glanmire’s Crestfield Downs, just a short distance from SuperValu.
“It took a while for the recession to hit me. But there is a definite downturn in the more indulgent and decadent things we offer such as hot stone massage and facials,” Tara said.
She started her business seven years ago and employs freelance therapists once or twice a week.
“Our main business would be massage and hot stone deep tissue treatments. But we also do reflexology, ante-natal massage and reiki,” Tara said.
She will get a chance to showcase her company at SuperValu from December 6 to 20.
“A large part of my business will be selling gift certificates before Christmas. Being able to go into a busy supermarket will hopefully help me to achieve that, so it’s ideal as far as I’m concerned,” she said.
Tara has joined the Glanmire Business Network as is very impressed with its whole ethos.
She is also very complimentary about the man who is providing her and other smaller businesses with an opportunity to advertise themselves.
“Liam Ryan is a very well respected businessman and is very proactive in the local community. I’m very impressed with his attitude and that of Glanmire Business Network. We can all get ideas from each other and help each other,” Tara said.
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