Shoppers flock to summer sales
SUMMER is officially underway, as are the big sales that come along with it.
The summer sales got underway in a number of Sligo shops last week, with retailers thrilled with the numbers of shoppers coming in to snap up a bargain.
Sligo retailers said they were generally busier this year compared with last year’s sales.
Eamonn Moran of Moffitts of Sligo told The Sligo Champion that they have been pleased with how the sale was going.
“We’re very happy so far with the summer sale. The footfall is good and we feel we’re offering excellent value,” he said.
No need for a promotional video this year for EJ Menswear, as they have been extremely busy.
And the roadworks taking place on the street have not affected business, he added.
“It’s been good so far. We’ve had a few strangers popping in to us and there seems to be a good few tourists around taking advantage of the sales.
“The roadworks on the street don’t seem to be affecting us.”
He isn’t, however, concerned about Brexit or the potential implications for County Sligo.
“Brexit isn’t going to happen so I’m not worried about it.”
The weakened sterling can be discouraging for shoppers in the North thinking of coming to Sligo to shop, and David Bagnall of Cordner’s Shoes says they have noticed fewer shoppers from the North.
“The sale has been steady since the schools finished really. It’s hard to know if the roadworks are affecting us but it doesn’t help.
“Because the sterling is weak we have noticed fewer Northerners down, so Brexit is a bit of a worry for us.”
In Gerry McGuire’s, which is busy last Tuesday afternoon with shoppers, Brendan McGuire says it’s been busier than last year. Brexit, though, is having an impact on costs. “The sale has been going really well, we’ve been very busy, busier than other years. We’d be a lot happier of course if we were this busy all year,” he mocked.
“We are worried about Brexit because a lot of our business comes out of Britain. We’ve seen a lot of the items we buy in the UK increasing in price already.”
In Anna Fashion & Lifestyle Boutique, Anna Higgins was unsure of what to expect, with her sale starting on a Tuesday. But, she was pleasantly surprised. “Our sale just started today. So we’re offering up to 50% off our Spring/Summer collections. We’ve been really busy all morning, I kind of didn’t know what to expect when it’s a Tuesday as well but it’s been good so far.”
The La Femme sale has been ongoing since June 19 th, and they have been busy ever since. “We’re very happy with the sale. There’s been a great buzz about the place. We’ve had quite a few tourists about, particularly Northern Ireland, it’s been very steady in here,” said Irma Morgan.
Brian Durkin, Addam Menswear said they were expecting a busy weekend.
“The sale has just started so we have a clearance rail there. We’re expecting a bigger rush at the weekend because it’s payday and people will be getting paid.”