Micksgarage set to hit revenue of €18m with Covid-19 boost
MICKSGARAGE, an online retailer of car parts and accessories, is set to grow its revenue to around €18m following a surge in demand at the onset of Covid-19.
Mick Crean, who co-founded the business with his twin brother Ciaran in 2004, said that the company’s volume of orders doubled overnight near the beginning of the Covid-19 lockdown. The company’s revenue is up about 70pc throughout the period, meaning that if the demand remains then his business could hit revenue of nearly €18m.
“We struggled with the volume,” he said. “We set about changing all the software systems to cope with that volume. With adversity, I’ve always believed you can come out the other side stronger. We now have better systems than ever before.
“It’s a massive change for us, and it’s been a change in every way possible,” he added. “Our technology has gotten better so it’s not like we could do double, we could probably do triple.”
Some products have flown off the shelves, while demand for other typically popular lines has declined with the change in consumer demand. Its sales of wing-mirror components, which usually represent around 10pc of the business, had reduced close to zero. It has, however, received a significant pickup in car polishing and internal cleaning equipment.
Crean said international trade in the UK, Australia and New Zealand had softened as the Irish market grew. He hopes the international sales will pick up again as the pandemic’s influence begins to wane.
The online retailer has also started selling more gardening elements and tools. It plans to launch its own online outdoor leisure equipment retail site in the near future.
Crean plans on hiring people this year, with an expectation of 10 to 12 additional employees.
Micksgarage is based in west Dublin, where it employs almost 35 staff. It counts several high-profile investors including former Paddy Power Betfair chief executives Breon Corcoran and Patrick Kennedy, Paddy Power co-founder Stewart Kenny, builder Michael Stanley and former Grafton chairman Michael Chadwick.