Five small businesses are joining forces at a two-day event to encourage consumers to buy local, and Irish, this Black Friday.
Owner of online store CHAOS+HARMONY Roisin Scott is behind the ‘Indi Pop-Up Shop’, where herself and four other “hard working mamas” will set up stall and sell their wares.
“I’ve been in business just over two years now, set up just before Black Friday 2016, so I know what the pinch feels like at this time of year,” she told Independent.ie.
“I’ve met other small firms whose sales have suffered similarly, and consumers who follow us on social media know how hard we need to work, so I decided to do something about it.”
Roisin has participated in a number of SME events previously, including with Google and Facebook, but she decided to organise her own pop-up, and asked a number of businesses in her network to come along.
“As the mother of two smallies [Saoirse (4) and Cuán (2)] I thought it would be a nice idea to work alongside other mothers who run businesses, either full-time or on the side, and sell products that complement each other,” she said.
“There are so many other business I would loved to have on the day but were limited due to the space we had available.”
Irish shoppers have embraced ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’, eagerly participating in the traditional American shopping bonanza, which falls on November 22 this year.
A recent PWC survey of 1,000 adults found that one in five Irish people will do the majority of their Christmas shopping on the Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, while a further 37pc are considering it.
The other stores taking part in the ‘Indi Pop-Up Shop’ at The Baths, Clontarf on November Friday 23 and Saturday 24 are Goose and Gander, My Higher Shelf, Primp & Style, and Under The Willow Paper Co.
Leather baby moccasins, children’s books, handmade Italian leather handbags, illustrated prints and children’s clothing will be sold over the two days “with a few bits and pieces for adults too”.
“We want to encourage people to shop local but we also want to push the idea that buying something as a quick gift to simply tick the box shouldn’t be the main goal,” said Roisin.
“Make an effort to buy something of more substance, something that won’t be forgotten, that will stand the test of play time and will be handed down again and again.”
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