LADIES from all corners of the country, who were in Ennis last week for the Vintners Federation of Ireland conference, were delighted with the shopping experience in the Boutique Capital of Ireland.

John Madden of the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis said that many of the ladies at the conference were eager to sample the boutiques of the town, which they had heard much about.
“I was more than happy to direct them to the great choice of boutiques in the town. When they returned to the hotel, many of them were laden down with bags from our top boutiques and they told me that they were very impressed with Ennis’ offering of shops,” he commented.
Gwen Culligan of The County Boutique confirmed that business in her shop peaked mid-week, which coincided with the conference.
“Business was certainly up for a day-and-a-half in the middle of last week. They seemed to have free time and were delighted to have the time to see what our shops had to offer. In The County Boutique, we had a mix of first-time Ennis shoppers and others who had been here previously and eager to return. Many of them commented that they thought Ennis was a lovely town to shop in. They said that they liked the variety and the top labels available here,” she added.
She said that Ennis Chamber had predicted that people attending the conference would want to shop and had provided discounted vouchers for some of the town’s shops.
“Having a conference of this calibre in town is a win-win because it means an increase in business for shops, restaurants and hotels and we can offer a good experience to visitors to Ennis. I would be very supportive of developing Ennis as a conference venue, attracting a good standard of conferences and events to the town. We need to continue to emphasise the point that Ennis is a fashionable place to come to,” she commented.
Ms Culligan noted, “Rather than regularly buying a single clothing item, ladies now seem to save up for a special shopping experience. Last week, they seemed more than happy to have that shopping experience in boutiques in Ennis. We hope that they spread the good word,” she said.