Chamber hopes for festive cash splash

WHILE the recession had hit hard leading to a slower than usual shopping splurge, Ennis Chamber is expecting business to gather momentum in the coming weeks as shoppers finally splash the cash.
Chamber president, Guy Flouch said the town was bracing itself for a bumper shopping season and key shopping streets had been pedestrianised and parking spaces have been massively increased in anticipation of large shopping numbers.
“The town is a fantastic place to shop. The town centre is compact, pulsating with family-friendly stores all offering a range of initiatives to create a traditional festive atmosphere,” Guy stressed.
Mr Flouch added, “Visiting Ennis this Christmas will restore a hassle-free shopping experience imbued with traditional seasonal values. You will have choice, convenience and fantastic bargains.”
To promote the town, Guy and Chamber CEO, Rita McInerney have been appearing on regional radio stations and have launched an intensive advertising campaign. They have also tapped into social networking sites.
Ennis Town Council is playing its part, with Monday’s announcement of free parking on the two Saturdays leading up to Christmas. Most stores have extended opening hours both midweek and at weekends.
To generate the festive atmosphere, there will be carol singers and on-street entertainers and restaurants and cafés have been given permission to put their tables out on pedestrianised streets.
In another initiative to boost local business, the Chamber has launched the ‘Ennis Gold’ gift voucher scheme. Customers looking for a thoughtful gift can buy vouchers in different denominations which can be redeemed, at face value, in over 70 local businesses, including retailers of ladies’ wear, gift stores, beauty products, toys, confectionery and restaurants.
The voucher can be bought in the Chamber offices, St Francis Credit Union or Record Rack or online at www.ennischamber.ie.
The Chamber president urged local people to consider that “every time you buy one of these vouchers, you are ensuring that money is spent with local retailers and not returned to the coffers of a company with its base in Dublin or further afield. Shop local and save local jobs”.
He also added that another important dimension of the scheme is that members of the Clare Diaspora, currently living in London or Boston or Sydney, can buy the vouchers for local residents online. “So, though thousands of miles away, they can still shop in the streets of Ennis,” he said.