'Look for Local' Campaign urges Consumers to Shop Fingal this Christmas

A new campaign by Fingal Local Enterprise Office, which was launched this week, is asking consumers to look local when they are shopping for products, services and experiences this Christmas. The 'Look for Local' & 'Shop Fingal' campaigns, supported by Enterprise Ireland and Fingal County Council, aim to raise awareness of the benefit of spending in your local area.

Mayor of Fingal Cllr Seána Ó Rodaigh emphasised the importance of supporting the 'Look for Local' and the 'Shop Fingal' initiatives, saying:  "LEO Fingal and Fingal County Council have played an essential role in supporting and assisting businesses this year. Shopping locally will make the difference for so many businesses across Fingal, and I would encourage every citizen of Fingal to get behind these initiatives and spend locally this Christmas - it has never been as important."

The “Shop Fingal” and “Look for Local” initiatives set out to highlight the importance of shopping within the locality during the shopping period leading up to Christmas. When consumers support one local business, they also support many more behind the scenes, such as suppliers, service providers, and manufacturers. Essentially, shopping locally helps grow the local economy through creating jobs and maintaining Irish industries.

AnnMarie Farrelly, Chief Executive of Fingal County Council said: “The Local Enterprise Office are providing a variety of supports for businesses to assist them, but the support of the public is crucial for those businesses and for our local economy. Small businesses and retailers are the vital component of the towns and villages in Fingal, providing vital economic activity and employment opportunities. Local businesses can offer a wide range of quality products to unique experiences, and the weeks leading up to Christmas are a great opportunity to take advantage and see what these enterprises have to offer, so please “Shop Fingal” and ‘Look for Local’, if at all possible."

Discussing the reasons behind the “Shop Fingal” and “Look for Local” initiatives, Head of Enterprise at Fingal, Oisín Geoghegan, explained “At LEO Fingal this year, we have placed a significant emphasis on helping small businesses stay front of mind with their existing customers while highlighting ways they can attract new ones. Schemes such as the Trading Online Voucher and the many ongoing training programmes available have helped achieve this.  That said, we are conscious that consumers are actively looking for ways to support their local community while looking for easy and convenient ways to shop for their day to day needs and obviously for Christmas. This initiative helps both shoppers and business owners while actively promoting a sense of being in it together.”

Every Euro you spend with a local business is an investment in the community around it and the quality of goods, services and experiences on our doorstep is second to none.  Not only that but it makes a positive environmental, economic and societal impact. This Christmas we are asking everyone to Look for Local and Shop Fingal to support businesses and jobs in their community ".

Research that was carried out as part of the first Look for Local campaign which was run by Fingal Local Enterprise Office in November and December 2020 showed that Irish consumers were 83% more likely to look local for products and services in 2021.

This campaign aims to strengthen that sentiment and to educate consumers on the domino effect that local spending has throughout their community. Every €10 spent in Fingal on Irish products and services generates more than €40 of benefit to Fingal in terms of employment*.

The campaign seeks to reinforce the importance of choosing to purchase local produce as well as informing consumers about the domino effect that local spending can have in their community.

The campaign will continue throughout the period leading up to Christmas to help spotlight local businesses and will strive to encourage Fingal residents to look for local products and services when shopping for Christmas.