Christmas shopping can be a hectic and stressful experience. The crammed shops can be a deterrent for people who find it easier to shop online and order their gifts from abroad. This obviously damages local Irish businesses throughout the country that are being bypassed by the online shopping phenomenon.

This trend has lead the SFA (Small Firms Association) to ask for one day over the festive season to be dedicated to encourage Irish consumers to support small, local retailers in Ireland. The organisation has said that this Saturday December 7th should be Small Business Saturday.

The Director of the SFA Avine McNally has said that consumers will be willing to pay if they know that they will receive “exceptional levels of service and delivery and value for money.” She maintains that it is essential for small businesses in Ireland that people try to make a conscious effort to buy Irish this Christmas saying “If every adult spent just €10 extra on Irish products the result would be an extra spend of over €30 million on Irish made products during Christmas.”

The concept is said to have been a huge success in other countries such as the United States and it could potentially have a huge positive effect on the Irish retail sector if a national campaign was introduced in this country.