Giving confidence to customers key to reviving town
MARGARET O’HANLON opened her three shops on Monday after almost three months, and is one of many New Ross businesspeople who believe consumer confidence will see the town come bursting back to life this summer and autumn.
‘It was so difficult having to close, especially just after the bypass opening and on the back of good year. We were going to try to promote the town and get it back swinging again.’
Like many business owners, Margaret thought shops would be able to open their doors again within a fortnight but as the number of deaths and cases continued to rise, the realisation dawned that it would be months and not weeks before they would be reopening.
Forty years in business in New Ross, Margaret owns Mr H Menswear, Blossoms Boutique and Hanrahan’s shoe shop, employing ten staff between the three stores.
She said she witnessed a dramatic drop in custom even during the week prior to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s announcement on March 12.
She closed her three shops that Saturday, March 13. Like most employers, she had to temporarily lay off her staff. ‘It was very tough to close the doors and walk out at that stage.’
She said online sales doesn’t suit her business model so everything ground to a halt.
‘ The customer profile I have in my shops is a little older. We have a good presence on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. We pride ourselves on first shoes and back to school shoes and measuring kids. We are so one-to-one; it’s all about customer confidence.’
Having survived in business through two recessions, Margaret said: ‘I am pretty resilient. I said from the start this is not going to beat us.’
She has applied for micro finance loans, restart grants, business continuity grants and, like most businesses, is availing of all government supports to ensure her businesses can continue to provide essential goods for the people of New Ross and its hinterland. Margaret has also welcomed the continuation of the Wage Subsidy Scheme, adding that all of her staff returned to work on Monday.
‘I am opening up with all ten staff because we have to give confidence to customers that when they come into my shops that they are going to be looked after and that their health is our number one priority.’
She said social distancing will be adhered to and only three family groups will be allowed inside at any one time.
‘I am really going to make sure everything is done 100 per cent. Word of mouth is so important.’
Her staff will be wearing face shields and be carrying out sales from behind perspex screens.
‘I have spent the last three weeks doing risk assessments. Staff temperatures will be take daily through a laser thermometer to the forehead. Everything has been put in place.
‘I spent €3,000 today on PPE and I’ll be spending more tomorrow.’
In Hanrahan’s shoe shop, anyone trying on shoes will have to wear disposable socks provided by a staff member. Children’s feet will be measured and the iPad measurer cleaned thoroughly after each use. A ‘ top of the range’ hand sanitiser dispenser has also been purchased.
‘I have put a lot of thought into everything so that there is the least amount of touching.’
Confident that New Ross can bounce back, Margaret said: ‘ Anyone I’ve met has really encouraged me and have said they will be back in and have asked me to please open up. We need the shops in New Ross and we won’t be going anywhere else. I think sometimes it’s only when people see you closed that they see what they’re missing. I think they will also know the loss we have all incurred over the last three months. They want to see business kept in town, businesses that provide jobs in town and to see a vibrant and trading New Ross.’
Margaret said the town is needed for children, for Christmas, during the summer.
‘People have to go somewhere. We have all been cocooned in and we want to go out and enjoy a meal in a nice restaurant and a coffee in a lovely cafe and to be able to browse around a shop. Our staff work so hard at customers service. It’s the chat, the “hello”, the “it’s a lovely day”. That’s very hard to replace. That interaction is very important with people. Business is no joke.’
I’M REALLY GOING TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS DONE 100 PER CENT. WORD OF MOUTH IS SO IMPORTANT