retail...expo, on in citywest on the 21st and 22nd of may, this year’s event will challenge us all...

RetailTIMES Q2 2019Q2 2019

Key Retail Trends6

Shaping the World Today

Dublin Is VibrantYour Dublin, Your Voice Survey Findings

Lee’s Centra GroupLeading the Retail Industry

Retail Public AffairsMa!ers Impacting Ireland’s Largest Industry

Q2 2019 | RETAIL TIMES 03

elcome to everyone. We should allnow be into full “Retail Swing”mode, with strong footfall,increasing conversion and higher

transaction rates! As this goes to press, I am notsure if this positive message is in the reality, withBrexit still in the balance and other internationalheadwinds. But I will use the old proverb, “it isfar better to travel hopefully, then simply arrivedisappointed!”

So, a huge amount of change continues in IrishRetail, and there are many strong fundamentalsunderpinning much of this positive change,unemployment at last count was approximately5.6%, the lowest level for over a decade, the Irisheconomy continues to indicate a growth of up to5%, and tourists are coming in record numbers.

A couple of big wins for many smaller IrishRetailers, the Enterprise Ireland extension of theonline grant, available to all retailers, so Iencourage you all to avail of this opportunity.e successful lobbying on the maintaining ofzero rated VAT on health food supplements, agreat unified effort by many, led by a strong voicefrom Retail Excellence.

Some new faces in Retail Excellence, with BryanRankin joining the team as head ofcommunications and public affairs and alsobecoming a director of Retail Excellence.Welcome also to Sean Byrne who has beenworking hard supporting member and partnerengagement and participation.

And as some new faces come in, some will beleaving, and it is with a little heavy heart, that Iam one of those leaving the great team that isRetail Excellence and it has been a genuineprivilege to have been part of this movement.Some of you will be aware of the devastating lossof Sandy, my wife, who passed away mid lastyear. And so I have taken a personal decision totake a personal journey of discovery and renewaland I will be taking the next 12 months off thecareer and work path, to focus on some extensivetravel and to continue my business studies withthe Open University.

And as time and tide wait for no one, it isfantastic to see Joe Barrett, co-owner and COOof Applegreen and Jean Willow, owner ofWillow Boutique being appointed as Chair andDeputy Chair of our wonderful organisation.With these two appointments, I believe thisgives a perfect blend of experience, expertise andpassion at both the SME level and the largernational and international retail stage.

e most important date for every Irish Retailer,is rapidly approaching, the Retail Retreat andExpo, on in Citywest on the 21st and 22nd ofMay, this year’s event will challenge us all andprovide real solutions to “Retail in an age ofprofound Transformation”. You will not bedisappointed, but you will be inspired.

We will also soon be launching the 2019 RetailExcellence Awards, in partnership with AIBMerchant Services. I encourage everyone toenter and enjoy what is a magnificent learningprocess.

I encourage you to get in touch and engage withthe team at Retail Excellence, we have anamazing group of passionate and dedicatedpeople whose main objective is help, support andencourage you to overcome and succeed.and you will not be disappointed.

Yours sincerely,

JP KennedyManaging Director, TileStyleChairman, Retail Excellence

JOE BARRETT AND JEAN MCCABEANNOUNCED AS CHAIR, DEPUTY CHAIRRETAIL EXCELLENCE

Retail Excellence, Ireland’s largest retailrepresentative body recently announced theappointment of Joe Barrett, COO and co-owner of Applegreen PLC as it’s incomingChairman. In another new appointment, theorganisation also announced that JeanMcCabe, owner of the award-winningWillow stores will become DeputyChairperson. Both appointments will comeinto effect on 1st July when currentChairman JP Kennedy, MD TileStyle, retiresfrom the role. Speaking about the newappointments, Group Chief Executive ofRetail Excellence David Fitzsimons said: “Iam delighted to welcome such respected andadmired individuals as Joe and Jean to leadRetail Excellence in a time of uncertainty butalso opportunity. It’s appropriate that ournew leadership team represent large and

small retailers. I would also like to thank ouroutgoing Chairman JP Kennedy for hisdedication, energy and leadership in his termas Chairman.”

250 RETAIL STUDENTS TO ATTENDRETAIL RETREAT

At this year’s Retail Retreat Retail Excellenceplan to introduce a careers and future talenthunt stage aimed directly at students whohope to pursue a career in retail. “We haveinvited students and union members fromeach of the pillar universities and collegesfrom all over of the country. e main aim ofthis element of the Retreat is to give thestudents the opportunity to speak with someof our member companies and see retail as aviable and exciting career option” said SeanByrne, Member Engagement ExecutiveRetail Excellence. For more details or to getyour college / university registered contact –[email protected]

REVAMP AT ROCKS JEWELLERSSTILLORGAN

Family jewellery retailer Rocks Jewellersrecently completed a significant and veryimpressive redesign of their StillorganShopping Centre store. Johnston Shopfittersundertook a complete full turn-key fit-outincluding design of bespoke shopfittings andgraphic and signage manufacture. ebuilding is now a flagship jewellery storelocated in Ireland’s oldest and most indemand shopping centres, Stillorgan VillageShopping Centre.

GLORY IRELAND CELEBRATES ITS FIRSTYEAR IN BUSINESS

It’s been just over one year since GLORYacquired the assets of Semeci Limited toestablish a direct local country presence inIreland, now trading as GLORY Ireland. Inthat time, the team has enjoyed numeroussuccesses across credit unions, hotels,pharmacies and independent retailers. eGLORY Ireland team recently opened newoffices on the Blanchardstown CorporatePark Campus on the outskirts of Dublin. Tocelebrate, GLORY Ireland hosted an officialopening. Akihiro Harada, CEO ofGLORY’s International Business andEMEA President, Vincent Nakache formallyopened the new premises. GLORY IrelandCountry manager, John Corcoran said: “Wehave really enjoyed our welcome into theGLORY family and becoming part of a trulyglobal organisation. Our first year has beenvery successful with the local relationships wehave developed, now being backed up bymarket leading cash automation solutions”.

LIDL ANNOUNCES HOME DELIVERY FORDUBLIN

Lidl Ireland has announced a partnershipwith delivery start-up Buymie to provide anonline grocery delivery service in Dublin. eservice was recently piloted in a number ofDublin postcodes and following a successfultrial will now be rolled out across the Capital

04 Q2 2019 | RETAIL TIMES

THE

New Board appointments atRetail Excellence.


City. Alan Stewart, Head of eCommerce atLidl said: “is is a real differentiator in theonline grocery delivery market by ensuringthe fastest delivery option in the Dublin area,with a premium personal shopper servicethrough our delivery partner.”

IKEA OPENS INNOVATIVE NEW LONDONSTORE

Ikea has opened a next generation store inGreenwich London close to the MillenniumDome. e new 32,000 sq. meter store isbeing promoted as a place to “meet, share,

learn and shop”. e fact that shop ismentioned last is indicative of the shift inretail and consumer behaviors as factors suchas community and experience become morepertinent. Amongst the innovation ondisplay is a home delivery service by bike, aroof pavilion that can be used for communitymeetings and leisure events and a greateremphasis on sustainability with an eco-minded take back scheme.

SUNRISE BUYS 100 HMV STORES

Canadian music retailer Sunrise Records has

recently completed a deal to buy HMV outof administration. As part of the deal Sunriseacquired one hundred HMV stores across theUnited Kingdom. Commenting on thetransaction owner of Sunrise Records, DougPutman said: “UK people are very passionateabout this industry and I think you can seethat through the outpouring about the loss ofHMV. ere isn’t anyone that doesn’tremember some sort of experience withHMV. We have got to make sure we givethat experience to a next generation and letthem understand what is so great about whatHMV is”.

Over twenty third levelcolleges to attend theRetreat.

Ikea unveil thenext generation

store.

The proud team atRocks Jewellers,Stillorgan.

Brent Pope assisted with thenew GLORY office opening.


RETAIL EXCELLENCE WELCOMES VATINCREASE DEFERRAL

Retail Excellence has welcomed theintervention of Finance Minister PaschalDonoghue to defer the decision regardingthe implementation of VAT on healthfoodsand supplements until November 2019. eMinister has provided time for both he andhis officials to meet with stakeholders andbetter understand the impact of a VATincrease on the sector. Commenting on themove, Bryan Rankin, Head of Public Affairsat Retail Excellence said: “e shock of amassive VAT hike of 23% would have meanta significant reduction in demand for healthproducts and in turn would have led to joblosses and store closures in the Irish healthstore and pharmacy sectors. us, wewelcome the Minister’s intervention and lookforward to consulting with the Minister toensure that the zero VAT rate remains intothe long-term”.

FRENCH SUPERMARKET CHAIN TO SELL26 STORES

Groupe Casino, the French supermarketchain, has recently announced it plans to selltwenty six stores worth €500m in a bid toreduce its debt levels. Most of the stores forsale are reported to be in the French regionsrather than it’s Paris based locations. A

spokesperson for the group said: “After theinitial sell-off the Group will continue toexplore measures to further reduce debt. Wewill also continue to improve the Group’sprofitability and strenghten its financialprofile.”

GRAHAM NORTON LAUNCHES GINBRAND WITH SUPERVALU

Television personality andWest Cork native GrahamNorton has recentlylaunched his own gin brandwhich will be soldexclusively throughSuperValu stores nationwide.West Cork Distillers haveworked with Norton tocreate the gin which isproduced using 100% Irishgrain. Commenting on thenews SuperValu Off-licenceTrading Manager JohnCooney said: “We are stillseeing a huge demand forgins, so to have one on our

shelves produced by Graham Norton himselfis something we’re incredibly excited about.”

APPLEGREEN POWER AHEAD

Forecourt retailer Applegreen recentlyreported a 55% increase in annualised grossprofits for 2018 as revenues increased by 41%for the same period. e Applegreen Boardhas proposed a final dividend of 0.91 cent pershare, up from 0.80 cent per share in 2017.e company's Chief Executive BobEtchingham commented: “Applegreen'sperformance was driven by ongoingexpansion of its estate, positive like for likegrowth despite weather related disruptionand strong fuel margin performance.” Mr.Etchingham said: “e deal for the secondlargest UK motorway service area operator,Welcome Break, was transformational for thecompany and gives us an excellent platformto develop our service area business in theUK market. e Applegreen businesscontinues to expand in each of our threemarkets as we increased our estate by 130sites to a total of 472 locations."

Groupe Casinoraising €500m.

SuperValu teamup with Norton.


Key Retail Trends6

I was delighted to attend the NRF Big RetailShow this January with our Group CEO DavidFitzsimons. Hearing the latest trends from Davidevery January would always confirm with me thatI needed to attend this show. Little did I expect itto be this year, but I absolutely soaked it up, everydrop of it. We left on the Friday afternoon with a

fantastic tour of the Award winning ShannonDuty Free with a detailed tour of futureexpansion plans through the eyes of Head ofCommercial Darren Smyth. e future is brightin Shannon! On the Saturday, we representedIreland at the FIRA Global Retail CouncilMeeting with over 28 Countries present todiscuss the most pressing issues in the RetailIndustry. Irish issues resonated with many of ourinternational colleagues – Brexit, rising cost baseand the war for talent. ere was a renewed focusto act collaboratively and improve the RetailIndustry around the world.

Fast forward to the first day of the show, and thesheer crowd of 40,000 attending the showbrought the whole of Manhattan to a stand still.David and I decided to divide and conquer andoff we went to attend sessions from the bestthought leaders in retail on the planet!

IN THIS EDITION OF RETAIL TIMES, KEELAN BOURKE, HEADOF COMMERCIAL RETAIL EXCELLENCE, EXPLORES SOME OFTHE KEY RETAIL TRENDS EXPLODING IN RETAIL TODAY.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

1. Localised Online Strategy2. Store Associate of the Future3. Winning the War on Talent4. Creating Store Destinations Through Experiences

5. Move to Personalisation6. Rise of the Socially Responsible Retailer


LOCALISED ONLINE STRATEGYOne hugely facinating talk was with Chicos,a ladies fashion retailer with over 1,500stores across the US. ey are in the midst ofa huge turnaround strategy where they areclosing over 250 stores but have begun tostabilise through a new localised onlinestrategy. Each customer that visits theirwebsite will be greeted by the picture of theirlocal store manager. e website is thenpopulated with personal reccomendations forthat customer from their local manager. ishas driven engagement through the roof forChicos with options to reserve and try instore, buy online and pick up in store or buyonline and have it delivered. Similarily theiremail campaigns aren’t sent from a corporateemail address, but rather from their localmanager’s email. is feature has driven openrates and engagement to new heights. eemail campaigns contain personalreccommendation from their local managerto that specific customer. Furthermore,fullfillment is now trending towards localstore fullfillment. Retailers have ditchedplans to build large one off warehouses andin return are utilising the store network torealise their online orders. Local is the newglobal. e best outcome is that StoreManagers are now empowered to embraceonline. ey see it as a local sales tool and nota threat.

STORE ASSOCIATE OF THE FUTURELeading on from the first major trend, whichwas evident throughout the three days of theshow was the expansion of the StoreAssociates role. No longer are they simplycheckout and assistance focused. Buy OnlinePick-Up In Store (BOPIS) is the fastestgrowing trend across the US and retailers areturning from building miles of warehousespace to support their own stores to do thefulfillment and handle returns. is allowsStore Associates to handle sizing issues toreduce returns and link sell to increase basketsizes. Store Associates are liasoning withcustomers as they carry out their researchonline. Store Associates are able to close salesonline if they don’t have the product instore.is leads to the evolution of clienteling.Further training, an investment in yourEPOS technology and recalibration of howsales are accounted for is needed for thistrend to be capitalised.

Retailers have entered the last frontier ofomnichannel shopping. Customers wantretailers to pair the convenience and selectionof e-commerce with the intimate feel of anin-person brick-and-mortar experience. emost resourceful retailers will bridge that gapwith new technology that empowersemployees to become true omnichannelassociates: customer service experts equipped

with the tools they need to give customersthe high-touch, personalized shoppingexperience they’re looking for online and off.Examples of Warby Parker, Saks FifthAvenue and Chicos have all been pushingthe boundaries of this trend.

WINNING WAR ON TALENTRetailers all over the world are struggling toattract and retain talented employees.

We listened to a fascinating talk oninitiatives to win the war on talent fromKohl’s Department Stores, e Home Depotand Greyston Bakery.

Kohl's doesn't just try to win talent by overpromising young candidates through itscollege internship program. e retailerstrives to impress their parents, too. ToddMcClement, the director of talent acquisitionat Kohl's, spoke on Monday about hiscompany's unique, parent-focusedrecruitment strategy during the paneldiscussion. Every successful collegeinternship applicant gets an offer letter fromKohl's in the mail. eir parents receive amatching note and an informational pack,letting them know that their son or daughterwas selected for the program over "tens ofthousands of students." McClement said thathis talent team found that "parents are such

Opening Address -Chris Baldwin

Chairman, Presidentand CEO of BJ’sWholesale Club.


important contributors to a student'sdecision on ultimately where they go to workafter they graduate." Students were comingback to say that letter is the reason why theyaccepted the job offer. We felt this was agreat initiative by a retailer adapting what thewar for talent really is. ey're changing whatthe talent expects.

e Home Depot spoke about optimisingthe recruitment process to mirror thecustomer experience, seamless. All jobadverts have a number to text to receive theapplication form on your phone. ey cansubmit a self-recorded interview straightaway after completing the form. is allowse Home Depot to progress candidatesstraight through by allowing their teamreview candidates in their own time,

shortlisting them and progressing them to afinal round interview. is has helped cuttheir interview process length in half andhelped them reduce the loss of high qualitytalent. Similarly they found that highlyskilled candidates for their I.T. roles weremore interested in learning about the projectthey would be working on and the level ofimpact they would be making, rather thanthe job perks. is required a mindshift fromtheir recruiters and also a change inpersonnel who conducted the final interviewfrom recruiters to the team the candidatewould be working with.

CREATING STORE DESTINATIONSTHROUGH EXPERIENCESA further drive to an experience led retailoffer was evident throughout the show.

Events are a key element of this and drive astore to becoming a community hub.Bulletin, a retailer with a purpose, buildsstores that are fully stocked with the bestfemale-run brands. ey are a home forfashion brands created by innovative females.Commenting the Bulletin Co-Founder AliKriegsman said: “We use every inch of spaceto support and celebrate female voices. 10%of store proceeds go to Planned Parenthoodof New York City. e business started outas a digital magazine that talked aboutupcoming brands has now branched out intophysical retail where it sells shelfspace in itsshops to up and coming brands.” ey nowhave three stores that are constantlychanging and evolving with their femaleempowered tastes. ey host multiple eventsthroughout the month on topics likeparenthood training sessions, reproductivehealth panels and fireside chats with activistson the rise. In late 2017, they raised $2.2million in venture capital.

Warby Parker was born out of the idea todisplace a perceived monopoly on eyeglassesafter the co-founder Neil Blumenthal left his

“Retailers all over the world arestruggling to attract and retain

talented employees.”

The war for talent Retailers’strategies for meeting today’shiring needs - NRF, Kohl'sDepartment Stores, The HomeDepot, Grayston Bakery.

designer pair on the tube. ey setup theirown brand, removed the middle men andstarted selling them online.

ey set up a showroom in the foundersapartment and quickly set up a try on athome for free service which dispelled anyquality myths. Hailed as the Uber of glassesby Vogue, they quickly sold out. ey quickly

moved into retail and set up Library likestores with marble floors and dark wood orgold trimmed bays that build a strongfoundation for a good customer experience.For the bays where the glasses are on display,the company borrows an idea frombookstores, with shelves that often go nearlyto the ceiling and sliding ladders that staffcan use to grab hard-to-reach pairs of glassesfor the customer. A help desk in the back,which Blumenthal compares to Apple'sGenius Bar, pays homage to the referencedesk at a library: Staff members sit at thelarge (often wood or marble, and minimalist)piece of furniture, armed with a desktopcomputer and ready to assist. He points outthat many eyeglass stores keep the actualframes they sell up front, but under lock andkey, meaning a staff member needs to assist acustomer who wants to try a pair on. “isoptimizes for loss prevention," he says,"instead of for the shopping experience."Shoppers can use augmented reality to try onmultiple frames and share them on socialmedia for peer support and advice. WarbyParker has now over 70 stores across theUnited States and is valued at over $1 billion,

with average sales of $3,000 per square foot!

MOVE TO PERSONALISATIONRetailers are becoming more granular in theirconsumer targeting. Long gone are the daysof mass promotion of a common offer.Marketing campaigns are now being run inmore of a singular nature. Based on ArtificialIntelligence and machine learning, retailersare getting even more precise in theircustomer offering. Loyalty programmes arebuilding into individual Relationship ofCustomer Management (RCM) rather thanCRM. Although another twist in an alreadyoverused buzz word, it signifies that it’s timefor loyalty programmes to really advance andprove their added value. Customers nowwant individual offers with personalisedrewards. Consumers want to be able to sendindividual gift cards to friends through textmessage, whatsapp, email and through socialmedia platforms. What does that mean? Itwill no longer be all physical. Customers willbe able, if they forgot a friend’s birthday toemail them a product they have picked outfor them (Product eGifting). e friend willbe able to change the colour, size or even

How technology and women are disrupting the way we shop - Janet Sherlock, CIO Ralph Lauren,Ali Krieg Co-Founder Bulletin, Nicky Hilton Fashion Designer, Tony Drockton, Founder Hammitt.

Warby Parker Co-Founder Neil Blumenthal.



product before they choose to get it deliveredor picked up in a nearby store.

SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE RETAILERS e role of the social responsible retailer is agrowing breed. Companies such as Brandless,Patagonia, Toms, Ben&Jerrys and WarbyParker are all focused on making a difference

in the World. is has resonated withconsumers as they move away from the fastpaced consumer model of use and discard.Brandless is a grocery brand with over 300essential items for under $3 dollars an item.It has removed all the investment in brandrecognition, the paralysis of choice andfocused on the greater social good.

It starts when you first make a purchase onBrandless—each time you do, Brandlessdonates a meal on your behalf to FeedingAmerica. When you pay the $36 a year fee tobecome a Brandless member, they donateten, and then an additional two each timeyou make a purchase. is has broughtBrandless endless traffic in which they aregoing up against the big bad wolf in themarket, Amazon. Amazon focuses on theeverything store, whilst Brandless focuses ona highly curated store. ey recently raised$240 million to fuel rapid expansion.

Fundamentally supporting these trends, is astrong technology system that empowers theretail business forward. Too often I seeretailers doing the same thing over and overagain and expecting different results. Manyhold onto legacy systems and processes inwhich they expect different results.Investment is needed, a strong culture isneeded, but you too can grow and drive anindustry forward which will benefit all the282,000 Irish jobs involved. Oh and by theway, I cant wait until next year!

Retail reinvention Disrupt yourself or be disrupted -NeilBlumenthal, Co-Founder Warby Parker, Tina Sharkey, Co-Founder Brandless, Nicholas Goad, Managing DirectorBoston Consulting.


RIP Aidan Candon of The Paddocks,Ramstown Gorey, Wexford died after ashort illness on January 24th, 2019 in theMaher Misericordiae Hospital Dublin.

It is an honour and privilege for me to paytribute today to a very special person, mybrother Aidan.

Aidan was born on November 13th, 1964 toMark and Mary Candon in County Cork,Ireland. He was the eldest of three and at theage of five Aidan and family move fromCork to Rathfarnham, Dublin. Aidanattended Ballyroan boys National School andsecondary education in Terenure CollegeDublin from 1977 to 1983.

In 1983 Aidan commenced his retail careerwith Roches Stores, Henry Street Dublin inthe Electrical appliance Department andlater progressed to food becoming theSupermarket Manager. Having cut his teethin retail Aidan joined the sales team ofElectrolux Group in 1988 and in 1994 hewas appointed Sales Manager in Central andEastern Europe relocating to Vienna.Adjusting to living in Central and EasternEurope was a challenge at first but over timeAidan really enjoyed this and the learningcurve greatly helped his career.

In 1996 Aidan returned home joiningPhilips Electronics as Sales Manager and in2000 he joined Sharp Ireland as GeneralManager growing the business and brandsubstantially over the years.

In 2005 Aidan joined Euronics as GeneralManager later becoming Chief ExecutiveOfficer. In the early days Euronics was asmall group of retailers who realised thatthey needed to come together to survive andbe competitive. Aidan was a significantdriving force in growing the business to beone of Irelands leading electrical brands withover 70 stores.

Aidan’s personality, skills and persuasivenature ensured compliance with the brand,not an easy job with so many views andopinions to manage! He introduced centralbuying, warehousing and distribution whichwas a game changer for Euronics andensured that suppliers and major brands tooknotice.

Aidan loved his job and the people heworked with and was proud of his successes.For him it was more of a paid hobby than ajob and with hard work combined with hispassion he was a real success!

He was always a good man for the banterand was quick to take me down a peg or twowhen opportunity arose, but I enjoyedwinding him up about his business andpointing out the great success hiscompetition was having. Brotherly love!

Aidan was also generous with his time andgave it up freely. He supported RetailExcellence Ireland in driving improvement ofthe WEEE scheme and ensuring that anapproved Register for Retailers andDistribution Centres of electrical appliancesand industrial and automotive batteries wasmaintained under the Regulations. He wasvery active in his local community and withresidents driving change and ensuring highstandards were maintained.

Aidan loved to travel with his wife Orla and

always seemed to be going somewhere newand exciting. Many times, we spoke of hisplans to semi retire to somewhere warm, adream never to be fulfilled. He also enjoyedhis early mornings at his local gym and mademany great friends here, he loved theoutdoor life, long walks in the countrysidewith his dogs and shooting when timepermitted.

Aidan was a great family man, a lovinghusband to Orla and father to three greatchildren Karla, Kristina and Steven. He hadrecently become a grandfather to Max andloved spending time with him. He was acaring son to his parents Mark and Mary andcalled them every day, visiting regularly whenin Dublin. He greatly valued thecommitment made by Orla and all the familythrough his illness. Aidan took all the rolesin his life to heart and he strove to honour,support, and guide and most importantly,protect his family. He was at his happiestwhen he was surrounded by his family evenduring those inevitable tough times that lifehas a way of throwing at you.

He never gave up hope through his shortillness and desperately wanted to get homeand back to work but sadly Cancer got thebetter of him. Aidan will be rememberedthrough the many people still left behindwhose lives he touched so positively. Aidan,brother, we will miss you, but we will alwaysremember you with respect, admiration andlove.

Aidan is survived by his wife Orla and histhree children Karla, Kristina and Steven andhis grandson Max, his parents Mark andMary and his two brothers Paul and Noel,Father in Law, brothers in law, sisters in law.He is sadly be missed by his family, friends,colleagues and the retail industry. May he rest in peace.

RIP AIDAN CANDON PAUL CANDON, BROTHER TO AIDAN CANDON LOOKS BACK ON

AIDAN’S SHORT BUT GREAT LIFE.

“WHEN I COME TO THE END OF MY JOURNEYAND I TRAVEL MY LAST WEARY MILE

JUST FORGET IF YOU CAN, THAT I EVER FROWNEDAND REMEMBER ONLY THE SMILE”


JULIET PASSMORE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, LOCALENTERPRISE OFFICE, DUBLIN CITY LOOKS AT SOMERECENT RESEARCH ABOUT THE DUBLIN ECONOMY.

DUBLINIS VIBRANT!

CONFIDENCE BOOSTS SOCIAL ACTIVITY

Are Dubliners becoming more a society ofdiners than drinkers? Results from the latest“Your Dublin Your Voice” suggests that wemay be.

e survey, conducted on the run up toChristmas by Dublin City Council, confirmsthe City’s love of socialising with bothrestaurants (92%) and pubs (91%) scoringhighly on the enjoyment/experience scale.e former benefits from having a goodrange of high quality restaurants which hasimproved over the years, while the lattersuffers somewhat from an image of poorvalue. is is reflected in the fact that 20%more people say they dine out frequently (atleast once a month) than go to the pub.

When it comes to shopping, there iswidespread agreement that the City has agood selection of unique and independentretailers (70%) but loyalty to local shops is indecline, particularly amongst younger people. By far the most important factor influencingpeople’s choice of where to shop is thevariety of stores (77%) with value (66%) thesecond most cited factor. Only 4% indicatethat technology is a factor although thisdoubles amongst 18-24 years-olds. at said

81% pay by tapping while 35% use click andcollect facilities, so shoppers are embracingtechnology more than they realise.

Grafton Street holds the most appeal of anyarea in Dublin with three quarters of thosesurveyed ranking it number 1. e George’sStreet Vicinity (60%) showed strongly insecond place, just ahead of Henry Street(57%). However, while George’s Streetappeals to younger age groups, Henry Street’sappeal is skewed to the older demographic,reflecting the development of George’s Streetas a social hub.

Spending trends suggest that consumers arefeeling confident with approximately 30% ofpeople indicating that they are spending

more on shopping and eating out in the lastyear. is falls to 18% for the pub.

Encouragingly, the majority of people are notanticipating any change in their spending inthe next 12 months.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT VITAL

Public transport is vital with over half (53%)of all shoppers using it to access the City.Within this the bus is the most popular

choice. e car lags behind at 24%. Indeedcars in general have lost ground since asimilar survey in 2011 when parking issuestopped suggestions for improving theshopping experience in Dublin. Now“more pedestrian friendly” is the topsuggestion.

e online threat does not appear to havematerialised yet amongst the shopperssurveyed. On average 30% of respondentsnever buy books, electronics or fashionitems online. Meanwhile only 10%indicated that they frequently boughtgroceries online compared to 30% in theUK . What has caught on is ResearchOnline Buy Offline (ROBO) with 55%people embracing this behaviour, a trend

that has been seen globally for some timewith Google reporting an 80% rate in 2011.

Overall, the survey showed that theimpression of the City is positive with 89%agreeing that Dublin has a vibrant citycentre. However, on the downside people arefeeling less safe by day than in 2011 (from76% to 72%). Interestingly, while only 40%feel safe in the city at night, this has notchanged.

ere has been much discussion about thethreat posed to traditional retail bytechnology. e low online penetration ratesin Dublin indicate that large opportunitiesstill exist. In addition, the survey shows thatpeople still like to shop and socialise in areaswhich offer variety and value coupled withmultiple dining options. is demand for“social shopping” will see innovative retailersthrive.

DUBLINIS VIBRANT!



MINISTER DONOHOE POSTPONESINTRODUCTION OF 23% VAT ON HEALTHFOOD SUPPLEMENTSRetail Excellence was pleased that, followingmany months of advocacy work, Revenue’smove to change the VAT rate on health foodsupplements from 0% to 23% has beenshelved – at least until November. In theweek preceding the planned introduction ofthe 23% rate, Retail Excellence was vocal inthe media, appearing on RTE News, RTEPrimeTime, Virgin Media News and localradio to make the case for a postponementand further consultation.

As well as announcing an eleventh hourreprieve, Minister Donohoe also initiated aconsultation period to capture the views of

the health store sector before any changes tothe current regime are made. Be assured thatRetail Excellence will continue to campaignfor retention of 0% rate in support of ourmember stores and for the health foodsindustry.

BREXITIf Brexit is not the only show in town, it’s atthe top of retailers’ concerns for 2019. RetailExcellence has been working positively andconstructively with Government to representthe legitimate concerns of our members.

One such representation was to call on theDepartment of Finance to extend to threemonths the deferral period on payment ofVAT on goods imported from the UK. For

all goods imported from outside the EU,importers must pay the VAT at the timewhen the customs duties are paid rather thandeclare it at the time of filing their VATreturns. Once the UK leaves the EU on 29March 2019, imports from the UK will betreated in this manner, regardless of whetherthere is a Brexit agreement in place.

While we note and welcome the Departmentof Finance’s announcement to postpone VATpayments on imports from the UK for up totwo months, Retail Excellence believes thatthe two-month timeframe is insufficient andwe have argued that an extension of a furthermonth to three months is appropriate. Welook forward to meeting Minister Donohoein the near future to make this case directlyto him.

RING-FENCING EMERGENCY BREXITFUNDINGAnother welcome development fromGovernment was Minister HeatherHumphreys’ announcement of a ten-foldincrease in Brexit emergency rescue funds forIrish business from €20 million to €200million, to be made available by means ofloans for cash-strapped businesses.Unfortunately, as we know only too well,retail feels any pinch before other industries,and we anticipate that retailers will bearmuch of the immediate impact of Brexit.

erefore we have called on Government toring-fence a proportion of this funding forthe retail industry. In addition we havesuggested that specific resources be madeavailable to town councils around the countryfor urban improvement works. Measuresthat bring life and footfall back into ourtowns will pay dividends in the short termand deliver over the long term too.

FROM A PUBLIC AFFAIRS PERSPECTIVE, 2019 TO DATE HAS BEEN A VERY BUSYAND THANKFULLY PRODUCTIVE PERIOD. WE’RE DELIGHTED TO REPORT SOMELANDMARK SUCCESSES AND SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS ACHIEVED ON KEY ISSUES

THAT WILL POSITIVELY IMPACT ON MEMBERS.

By Bryan Rankin, Head of Public Affairs & Communications, Retail Excellence

Public Affairs

Minister Heather Humphreys, Minister ofEnterprise, Marian O’Gorman, Kilkenny Group

and Stephen Hughes, Enterprise Irelandannounce the online retail pilot.


IRISH RETAILERS GUIDE TO BREXITere have been many other examples ofBrexit consultation with Government andagencies, for example when we attended theAll-Island Civic Dialogue on Brexit andRevenue’s Brexit Seminar. e strongmessage we received on these occasions wasthat it’s not too late for retailers to preparefor Brexit.

To that end, in February Retail Excellencecompiled and launched a new ‘Brexit Guidefor Irish Retailers’. is was circulated to allmembers and is available to download fromthe members section of our website. It’s asimple, one-stop-shop guide to the measuresyou can take now to be best prepared for allBrexit eventualities, and a list of the resourcesthat Government departments and agencieshave in place to support Irish business. eguide has been very positively received so ifyou haven’t had a chance to read it, pleasetake a look today.

ONLINE RETAIL SCHEMEMore positive news came our way in earlyMarch when Minister Humphreysannounced details on the first call of the newOnline Retail Scheme, administered byEnterprise Ireland. Eleven retailers wereawarded funding as part of the new €1.25mfund, and we were delighted to note that

nine were Retail Excellence members. escheme is targeted at online retailers tostrengthen their online offering to enablethem to reach a wider customer base.

e announcement was a red letter day forRetail Excellence as we had been making thecase for dedicated funding support forprospective and expanding online retailersover several years. Phase One completionpaves the way for the full roll-out of the€1.25 million scheme, expected shortly.We will be working closely with EnterpriseIreland to ensure that Retail Excellencemembers are well positioned to makesuccessful applications to bolster their onlinepresence. One such initiative will be to hostan Enterprise Ireland application briefing,further details will be made available throughour regular email member updates.

INSURANCE REFORMe glacial pace of reform in the insurancesector does little to inspire confidence that ashake-up in the status quo can be expectedany time soon. Against that background, theAlliance for Insurance Reform (AIR), ofwhich Retail Excellence is a leading member,met in early February to discuss recentdevelopments and our campaign for action in2019.

ere was good news from Government inJanuary, when Section 8 of the Civil LiabilityAct 2004 was amended to make itmandatory to notify potential defendantswithin one month of an accident and reducethe period for reporting accidents to 1month.

is Section is now in line with the dataprotection legislation which allows generalCCTV footage to be retained for one monthonly. Additionally, judges are now obliged totake failure to inform into account, whereaspreviously, they ‘may’ have taken such afailure into account. e New Act wasenacted and came into force on Monday 28January.

Another of our key demands is for theformation of a specialist Garda InsuranceFraud Unit. is has been delayed because ofa squabble over who should pay – theinsurance industry (who are prepared to pay)or the tax payer. AIR will be increasingpressure on the relevant Ministers over thenext few weeks to ensure this happens.All in all then, a busy few months at thepublic affairs desk, but it’s great to reportsome valuable results for our members onactivity areas, with more positive newsexpected in the near future.

Protest against theapplication of 23% on

health food supplementsoutside the Dail.

LEADINGTHE RETAIL INDUSTRY

//////////////////////////////////////////////

LEE’S CENTRA GROUP, CHARLEVILLE /////////////20 Q2 2019 | RETAIL TIMES

Lee’s Centra Group is owned by brothersRay & Brendan Lee and they currentlyoperate 2 Centra stores and an Applegreenforecourt in Charleville, Co Cork. eyacquired their first store on the main street in2004 and in 2005 an old Statoil forecourt onthe N20 leaving Charleville. While thebrothers have always been at the forefront ofconvenience retailing, they have in the last 2years invested in excess of €1m in completelyredeveloping their stores, to adapt theirbusiness in line with changing consumertrends and lifestyles, and the end product isfascinating.

e Main Street store underwent a completere-development in 2017 and the result is astate-of-the-art convenience store which hasalready gained a lot of industry attention andawards.

e store is a fusion of the best inConvenience retailing combined with aunique foodservice experience. According toRay “the move was geared towardstransforming the store from beingconvenience led to food service-led in orderto appeal to a whole new customer base andbecome a destination store for new customermissions.”

e architecturally designed exterior andentrance provides an open and invitingfacade with a contemporary feel. Largewindows showcase the Frank & Honest Caféwhich dominates the front of the store. isis a full-service Café with professionallytrained baristas and an exciting on trendmenu of breakfast and lunch offerings,prepared fresh to order by their inhousechefs.

As you proceed through the store, you aremet by a very extensive deli whichincorporates “e Kitchen” and showcases allCentra’s new ranges to cater for different dayparts. ey have “e Green Kitchen”chopped salad concept and e Griddle andCarvery section where you can create yourown omelette, freshly cooked to order in themornings, as well as a range of other freshlyprepared specials at lunchtime.

e “Hero” department which dominates thecentre of the store is their “Wooden Spoon atLee’s” bakery department. A team of bakersproduce an extensive range of freshly bakedbreads, cakes and treats as well as a range ofoccasions cakes, for both stores. And if you’refeeling a little indulgent, you must try their“808” donut brand. Ray & Brendan engageda branding company to develop their own

exclusive donut brand. e disturbinglydelicious range of donuts are prepared freshinstore every day.

In autumn 2018, the brothers made asignificant investment in their forecourt thatutterly transformed the forecourt shop andsaw the Applegreen identity brought into theheart of the community in Charleville. eproject began in September of 2018 and wascompleted in November. During that time,the forecourt layout was radically changed, tomake the forecourt easier to navigate, whilealso introducing extra pumps to the site.Inside the Centra shop, the entrance area wasopened with large glass sections to allowextra natural light into the interior. eoverwhelming majority of the retail space isdedicated to a sumptuous feast of fresh food-to-go offerings and the emphasis is verymuch on quality, with each element helpingto create a superior shopping experience. estore also incorporates a 60-seater diningarea and has become a destination store forthe N20 commuter.

e environment in both stores wasdeveloped to reflect the new Centra, “LiveEvery Day” brand positioning and focusedon a ‘Fast Foodie Friendly’ concept -providing exceptionally good food, the waycustomers want it and quickly, but with alevel of service that is exceptional. And, it’svery evident when you visit their stores, thatRay & Brendan have made a significantinvestment in their people. In order to bringall the above to life, they regularly engageexperts in service training to work with theirteams, and it’s obvious the staff are highlymotivated and engaged.

While the Lee brothers have worked with

Centra for many years, enjoying what Rayterms a “fantastic relationship”, thepartnership with Applegreen is a brand newone for them. “Applegreen as a brand is amuch newer identity here, but it has built upa very strong reputation in the fuel sectorhere very quickly,” Ray notes. “It has rapidlyestablished itself as a brand of quality andone with a very strong price proposition.Applegreen itself has its own expertunderstanding of the forecourt and fuelsector and what the forecourt customerwants in 2019. Between Applegreen andCentra, we have direct access to the adviceand support that we need as retailers.” emove to Applegreen was one the brothersdidn’t take lightly, but in the end, they werewon over by a combination of quality fuels atreasonable prices, an attractive eye-catchingforecourt and Applegreen’s proven growth insales volumes. e partnerships betweenApplegreen, Centra and the Lee’s is afantastic example of how the independentretailer and a large branded partner can worktogether to create a store that is at oncefamiliar to passers-by, and one which stillretains a truly unique identity, created by thepassion and vision of the owners.

Ray & Brendan employ over 70 people infull and part time roles. eir initiative,entrepreneurial spirit, hard work dedicationand community involvement, directlybenefits the community that supports theirstores.

ey are delighted with the success of bothinvestments and feel that they are uniquelypositioned to cater for the needs of the ever-changing modern consumer, and are activelylooking for opportunities to further expandtheir business in the future.

/////////////Q2 2019 | RETAIL TIMES 21


LEON PLANNING TWENTY IRISHSTORES

UK restaurant chain LEON is reported to beplanning to open twenty new Irishrestaurants over the next five years, creating600 new jobs in the process. LEONdescribes itself as the "naturally fast foodbrand" will open its first Irish outlet inTemple Bar in Dublin City Centre in May.e company also plans to open up inDundrum Town Centre later this year. e

group has over sixty outlets worldwide withfifty in the United Kingdom as well asrestaurants in Norway, the Netherlands andthe United States. Stuart Fitzgerald, AlanO'Neill and Brian McIntyre have led thedeal to bring LEON to Ireland. Mr.Fitzgerald said: "We are very proud to be ableto say we will be making such a positiveimpact on the Irish economy over the nextfive years with the creation of 600 jobs andusing so many Irish suppliers in our variouslocations across the country.”

ASOS POSTS REVENUE GROWTH,SUFFERS LOGISTICS ISSUES

Asos, the online fashion retailer, recentlyposted strong growth in revenue. However,such growth led to dispatch backlogs in theUnited States after demand significantlyexceeded expectations. Overall the companyreported growth in retail sales to €1.5billionfor the six months to February 2019. UKsales grew the strongest climbing 16% to€563million. Sales across Europe were up12%. e company predicts to grow revenuesby 15% to the end of 2019.

SOUTHEASTERN GROCERIES PRESIDENTAND CEO TO HEADLINE RETREAT

Anthony Hucker, President and CEOSoutheastern Groceries, has recently beenconfirmed as the headline speaker at the2019 Retail Excellence Retail Retreat. Mr.Hucker oversees the operations of one of thelargest grocery chains in the United States.Southeastern Groceries is known for havingvery strong community ties and also one ofthe most loyal workforces in retail globally.e business spans conventional grocerystores, off-licences and communitypharmacies. e Retreat is scheduled for May21st and 22nd at the Citywest ConventionCentre.

MJ FLOOD TECHNOLOGY ANDPROMOGROUP ANNOUNCEPARTNERSHIP

MJ Flood Technology and PromogroupIreland have teamed up to deliver somethingvery innovative in the digital out of homelandscape. Digihub is the latest in digitaladvertising technology. MJ Flood Digital'snew advertising network offers the mosttechnologically advanced, high quality andattractive digital hubs on the market. KeithHanley Head of Digital Retail at MJ FloodTechnology commented: “e team here atMJFT are excited to bring this state-of-the-art network to the Digital Out of Homespace. Our unique selling point is that we are

THE

Exciting expansionplans for LEON.


an experienced technology solution providerwith extensive experience in the Retail spacearound CX, experiential solutions and featurerich data analytics”. e 55inch displays willbe larger and brighter than any screens thatare currently in use in forecourts andconvenience store locations. e MJ FloodDigital Network will first launch with 146digital screens located in 124 Applegreenservice stations nationwide. James FinglasManaging Director MJ Flood Technologyremarked “e investment in this networkfurther underpins our partnership withApplegreen who are a highly progressive

organisation in their adoption of Digital toenhance their customer experience”.

ASSOCIATION OF FINE JEWELLERSSTRIKE A DEAL WITH GLOBAL BLUE

Global Blue have recently been unveiled asthe preferred supplier for tax free shoppingservices to the Association of Fine JewellersIreland. President of the Association,Fionagh Ryan commented: “We aredelighted to be taking this pro-active step forour members. Mark Cox first approached usback in 2018 to chat about international

activity throughout our industry. Foreignspend has always been important to ourmembers and anything we can do to help ourmembers engage with this even more is avery positive thing. is is a call to action soto speak by Global Blue to our members.”Mark Cox, Business Development Managerwith Global Blue said “We are lookingforward to working with all membersthroughout Ireland and providing an expertin class service. It is a busy time for tourismin Ireland and with our help members willmaximise on this.”

MJ Flood Technology launchdigital infrastructure acrossIreland.


thenumbers45The number of new Spar and

Eurospar stores opening in2019 / 2020

65 The millions of euro spent byRepublic of Ireland consumers crossborder last Christmas

6 The billions of euro spentby Irish consumers onlinein 2018

70The percentage of online spend byIrish consumers which goes to

international websites

25The thousands of euro available inEnterprise Ireland grant aid for eachqualifying retailer with internationalambitions online

50The millions of euro Copper Face

Jacks is reputed to be worth. A deal isreportedly being eyed up by

Supermacs supremo Pat McDonagh

20 The number of LeonRetaurants to open in Irelandover the next five years


NEW ECOMMERCE COMMITTEE CHAIR

Retail Excellence is pleased to announce thatour current eCommerce committee vice-chair James Byrne has agreed to take on therole of chairperson. As Digital MarketingManager with Glanbia Ireland, James has adeep understanding of the eCommerceenvironment and is dedicated to supportingIrish retailers on their journey to developingan effective online presence. Best of luck toJames, and sincere thanks to our outgoingchair Kieran O’Brien for his leadership andsupport.

RETAIL RETREAT & EXPO, 21-22 MAY,CITYWEST DUBLIN

is year’s Retreat will have even more fordelegates involved in eCommerce, includinga stage dedicated to matters online retail.Network and listen to respected eCommercepractitioners and hear the latest trends, likeDPD’s eCommerce Barometer, best-sellingauthor and online expert Sarah Carroll andPetstop’s Irish online success story. We’ll seeyou there!

SAVE THE DATE – ECOMMERCECONFERENCE 1 OCTOBER, CROKE PARK

Planning is well underway for this year’seCommerce Conference, with an excitingstimulating speaker line-up. Whether youare just starting out or already trading online,

we’ll have leading experts on hand to speakwith, and case study presentations that youcan relate to.

ONLINE RETAIL SCHEME

Minister Heather Humphreys releaseddetails on Phase 1 of Enterprise Ireland’sOnline Retail Scheme in early March, andPhase 2 is expected over the coming months.Retail Excellence congratulates all 11 of thesuccessful applicants, including the ninemember retailers of our organisation. Readmore about this scheme in our Public Affairsupdate in this edition.

CALL FOR VAT ON NON-EU ONLINEIMPORTS

e current unfair situation where Irishretailers struggle to compete on price withcheap, non-EU imports that are not subjectto VAT or other duties needs to be addressed.Bryan Rankin, Head of Public Affairs withRetail Excellence was quoted in the IrishExaminer in February, calling for a levelplaying field for Irish online retailers. Bryancalled for Revenue and Government to putthe required measures in place to collect theright tax from the right people, starting withonline marketplaces like Amazon. RetailExcellence’s eCommerce committee willcontinue to challenge the Irish Governmentand EU Commission to act on this crucialissue.

• e EU is introducing new rules that will ensure that EU businesses can expect more transparent interactions with online platforms, as well as an efficient systems for seeking redress. Specifically for e- retailers, it will mandate platforms to disclose publicly the drivers that determine the ranking of vendors in search results.• Digital tax: Austria is optimistic that the EU will soon agree a form of digital tax, albeit a watered-down version. Austria confirmed that it, like a growing number of other EU states, would introduce the tax at national level in the event of failure to agree on it at an EU level.

• In February, New Zealand also announced plans to introduce a digital tax to target the revenues of multinational digital firms. • e European Commission and national consumer protection authorities last month published results of an EU-wide screening of 560 e-commerce sites. Around 60% of websites surveyed showed irregularities regarding EU consumer rules, predominately on how prices and special offers are presented. Fortunately we can attest to the quality of Irish retail websites, particularly those that carry the Trustmark brand – apply now for Trustmark on the Retail Excellence website!

ECOMMERCE NEWSRetail Excellence is a board member of eCommerce Europe,and we think the following news items will be of interest toIrish online retailers:

James Byrne, MarketingManager for Retail &eCommerce, Glanbia.


30 years have passed and in 2019, I now findmyself working with organisations in orderto ensure that processes are as efficient aspossible so that finance talent can focus onwhat matters – the bottom line. In the lastfew years, I have seen businesses, both largeand small embracing robotics, enabling themto drive efficiencies and engage their people

in non-monotonous tasks. at tax return isonly one example of a process that could beautomated. Many other processes are ripe forRobotic Process Automation (RPA)including data collection, entry andprocessing, order and invoice processing,bank reconciliations and reporting.

WHAT IS RPA?

RPA - Robotic Process Automation involvesthe automation of any monotonous,repetitive, rules based task within yourbusiness. e robot (essentially a piece ofsoftware) works like a ‘virtual worker’ and canbe ‘trained’ by someone in your business inmuch the same way as you would train a newemployee today. e robot is essentiallyreplicating any repetitive human action.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF RPA?

e robot, once in your business, works 24/7and so has the capacity to drive increasedefficiencies and cut costs in your back office.It takes the repetitive tasks and frees you and

your team up to work on areas of thebusiness where your judgement is

required. It also reduces your risk oferrors and fraud. It has led to

increased work satisfactionas employees are takenaway from repetitivetasks and can focusinstead on solvingchallenges within thebusiness. It is incrediblyquick to implement. Wehave seen processes that

took 15 hours reduced to 15 minutes,transaction checking samples increased to100% and error rates reduced to zero.

IS THIS ONLY FOR LARGE BUSINESSES?

e low cost of RPA makes it very accessiblefor all types of business. It is low code soonce up and running, there are no softwaredevelopment skills required beyond thebasics. It works with any existing softwareand delivers results very quickly for allorganisations.

HOW CAN GRANT THORNTON HELP?

If you want to cut costs in your business, freeup time and get away from working onrepetitive tasks, you should call us today. Wecan work with you to review currentprocesses and recommend next steps. Wehave experts in the field and can quickly andcost effectively implement software whichwill automate these processes, freeing yourtime up to focus on what is important to you. e back office in your business has come along way over the years. e challenge now isto stay as relevant, competitive and efficientthere as you do front of house.

Authors: Aisling O’ Keeffe, Associate Director -Business ConsultingIan Cahill, Director - IT BusinessConsultingDamian Gleeson, Head of Global Retail,Grant Thornton

ROBOTIC PROCESS

MY FIRST JOB WAS SERVING CUSTOMERS IN MY GRANDPARENT’S SHOP. BY 7 OR 8, I SHOWEDPROMISE AND HAD BEEN PROMOTED INTO THE BACK OFFICE, WHERE I HELPED WITH VATRETURNS. IT WAS THE LATE 1980S AND I WROTE EVERY INVOICE INTO A RED HARD COVERBOOK. IT WAS A TEDIOUS, MANUAL PROCESS AND IT TOOK MY GRANDFATHER AWAY FROMTHE SHOP FLOOR. I REMEMBER IT BEING A SOURCE OF STRESS TO HIM, AS EVERYTHING WASCHECKED AND DOUBLE CHECKED IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT THERE WERE NO ERRORS.

Aisling O’ Keeffe, AssociateDirector - Business Consulting,Grant Thornton.


Cash has been knocked off its throne. Today,regardless of your target audience’s age, dataindicates that most consumers want theoption to pay with a debit or credit card.Irish consumers now spend more using cardsthan they do using cash, namely €7,442 onthe former versus €5,388 in cashwithdrawals. Beyond the obvious benefits,how else does this impact your business forbetter or for worse?

HANDLING & ADMINISTRATION ere is a misconception that cardtransactions are the more expensive methodof payment. In fact, cash handling costs areestimated at 2.5 cents per euro of turnover,compared to 1.6 cents for a card transaction.Combine that with the estimated 28 minutesper day in back office administration timeversus 94 minutes for cash, there are materialsoft and hard savings to be made. By makinga deliberate effort to increase the amount ofcard payments over cash, retailers could savethousands annually on cash handling costs,while also reducing the risk of fraud andsimplifying time intensive administration.

Digital payments and till systems help Irishretailers to become more efficient and

automated, while also accessing data andinsights into their business; allowing forbetter and more informed decision making.You do not need to be a large retail chain toautomate your accounting and inventorycontrol, or to offer digital loyalty programmesto encourage card usage and return visits.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION Customers are becoming less likely to carrycash meaning despite the quality of yourproducts, your service, or the extensivemarketing you have done to get the customerthere, if they are unable to pay, they will goelsewhere. ere is less of a psychologicalconstraint for people to part with theirmoney when they use cards, and they aremore impulsive when compared to usingcash. Retailers can use the decreased pricesensitivity customers tend to have whenpaying with a card to upsell the mostprofitable items or make POS impulsepurchases easier.

Studies indicate that customers view theappearance of a line negatively—regardless ofhow quickly it is moving. For thosecustomers with a limited amount of time,waiting means their departing experience isnegative and stressful. Cash payments slowdown even the most adequately staffedcounter and as queues build, and staffattempt to compensate with speed, room forerror increases dramatically.

ACCESS TO WORKING CAPITAL FINANCECashflow is a key indicator and determinantof a business’s ability to access finance,however there are finance products that putspecific emphasis on the volume of revenuebeing generated through cards. CashAdvance facilities allow retailers to accessworking capital finance by leveraging thestrength of their card sales. e more volumeof revenue that runs through the cardmachine, the larger the working capitalfacility a retailer can access. Repayments aremade daily using a portion of what comesthrough their card machine. By encouragingcard over cash sales, a business owner candirectly influence how much finance they canaccess and how quickly they can pay it back.

Author: Andrea Linehan, CommercialDirector GRID Finance

GRID Finance is an Irish owned provider ofbusiness finance. GRID’s Cash Advance Facility isa short-term finance solution specifically designedfor the retail sector. It works with your business andits existing credit debit card machine. You canborrow up to €500,000, repayments are made dailyas a small percentage of your future card sales untilyou have repaid the full amount. The GRID CashAdvance product allows retailers to access workingcapital finance by leveraging the strength of theircard sales. Its purpose is to work with the naturalebb and flow of the retailer’s trade, something thatfixed monthly term loan repayments can workagainst

thE COSTof CasH

HOW CASH IMPACTS YOUR BUSINESS IN THREE KEYAREAS; ADMINISTRATION, CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

AND ACCESS TO FINANCE


Bewley’s Barista, Wojciech Tysler, has wonthe most coveted Irish award for Baristasafter coming out on top at the Irish BaristaChampionships that took place at CATEXfrom 26th-28th February. e AvonmoreIrish Barista Championships were one of thehighlights of CATEX, where thousands ofcatering and foodservice professionalsgathered during the week.

Wojciech triumphed over the nine otherfinalists to take home first place in the highlycompetitive awards. He will now representIreland in the leading international coffeecompetition, the World BaristaChampionships taking in place in Boston inApril. Each year, more than 50 championcompetitors each prepare 4 espressos, 4 milkdrinks, and 4 original signature drinks in a15-minute performance set to music. Judgesfrom around the world evaluate eachperformance on the taste of beverages served,cleanliness, creativity, technical skill, andoverall presentation. e ever-popularsignature beverage allows baristas to stretchtheir imagination and the judges’ palates toincorporate a wealth of coffee knowledgeinto an expression of their individual tastesand experiences.

Quality and training have long been a keyfocus in the history and heritage of Bewley’s.is is underpinned by the skills of Bewley’sbaristas and over the years many World andIrish Barista Champions have been trained inBewley’s.

Bewley’s Managing Director Jason Doylesaid “We are delighted that one of our ownBaristas, Wojciech Tysler has won the mostcoveted award in Irish coffee. Wojciech hasbeen competing at the highest level for 5years and to see his dedication recognized isa just reward. As the leading coffee roaster inIreland we are delighted to have the NationalBarista Champion on our team and we lookforward to seeing Wojciech represent Irelandin the World Championships in Boston laterthis year.”

Quality & speed of service is of the utmostimportance to our consumers in GraftonStreet as well as our Foodservice customerbase. Investing in our customers has alwaysbeen a key part of the success of Bewley’s &high-quality barista training is just one of theelements that allow our customers tosucceed.

Wojciech Tysler, Irish Barista Champion2019 and Bewley’s Barista, commented“After five years of competing, finally mydream has come true. e team at Bewley’shave believed in me from the outset and I amvery grateful for the support & the time thatthey have given me to be at my best. I’mlooking forward now to the next challenge,representing Ireland and competing at theWorld Championships in April.”


We recently heard about the really excitingtimes ahead at Retail Excellence with theRetail Retreat & Expo only around thecorner on 21st | 22nd May at the CitywestConvention Centre. Retail Times wanted tohear more about this so we got in touch withHelen O’Dowd, Head of Learning & Events.‘Last year was great, but this year is going tobe amazing. We have so many exciting globalspeakers as well as a host of our very ownhighly successful Irish retailers going to sharetheir expertise with us.’ Helen continued ‘Weare honoured to have Anthony Hucker,President and CEO at Southeastern GrocersFlorida as our opening keynote speaker.Anthony has vast retail experience havingworked with companies such as Schnucks,Walmart, Giant Food and Aldi he will sharehis immense knowledge and foresight with

delegates to start the two day programme ona high note!

We’ve also recently announced additionalspeakers, to the already vast list, who willshare their wealth of knowledge andexperience with us. Emphasis will be placedon rebuilding your village or town with twohighly knowledgeable and experiencedpeople in the field - Lisa Edwards, BIDManager at Dunfermline in Scotland andRonan Lyons, Economist. Lisa and theDunfermline BID have successfully built apartnership around culture and heritage tobring a sense of pride back to the town andcapitalised on the tourism market to thebenefit of local retailers. Ronan Lyons has in-depth insight into what cities and towns willlook like in the future – these are sessions

everyone can gain fromhearing.’

Another of the sessionsHelen highlyrecommended is DanRyan on Wednesdayafternoon. Dan is a seniorbusiness executive withextensive strategicacumen, people leadershipand retail experience. Hisareas of expertise includestrategy, buying, trading,branding and storeoperations. Dan hasworked with the some ofthe best companies inretail including Selfridges(Group Head of Trading),Brown omas (GroupMerchandise Controller),Life Style Sports (TradingDirector), Shop Direct

(Buying and Merchandising Director) andacross a variety of roles across the Primarkbrand.

Helen explained how one of the mostdifficult areas for store teams is visualmerchandising. It’s a constant challenge toconstantly come up with innovative andexciting new ideas! So Helen put in a call tothe fantastic Karl McKeever, Founder/MDof Visual inking and Karl is going topresent a ground breaking session on VMfundamentals – ‘New, Now, Next VM!’ whichwill give fresh ideas as well as the goldenrules for elevating the standard of your vm!

With Helen watching the clock, we had tofinish the conversation but her parting wordswere ‘ere’s a new look to many of thesessions this year with a lot more being casestudies or panel discussions. Expertsincluding StudioForty9, DPD, IrelandWebsite Design, Social Media Elite andWolfgang Digital will all deep dive into theworld of eCommerce. We could speak foranother hour about the fascinating speakerlist but time is against us – the team at RetailExcellence has a Retreat & Expo to organise!So the best thing to do is to check out thebrochure which was included in this editionof Retail Times!’

BOOK 2 TICKETS NOW ANDBRING A GUEST WITH YOUFREE OF CHARGE!

www.retailexcellence.ie

If you would like to exhibit at the RetailRetreat & Expo, [email protected] | +353 65 6846927

Karl McKeever, VisualThinking – tips & tricks for

visual merchandising.


e Committee’ s purpose is four-fold; 1. To influence key stakeholders in government, education and the business community for the benefit of all Retail Excellence members2. To create a network for the Retail Excellence HR Community through the establishment and development of a HR Forum which focuses on; • Creating networking and

knowledge sharing opportunities • Employment law case reviews Global HR trends • Best Practice Sharing • HR analytics for benchmarking

purposes

3. Generation of robust and anonymous HR analytics to enable Retail Excellence Members to benchmark themselves and to support members and stakeholders in their decision making4. Above all we aim to be relevant for all Retail Excellence Members

MEETING WITH MINISTERS

We have listened to Members regarding HRconcerns and have worked with RetailExcellence to influence legislation such asAuto Enrolment, e Employment(Miscellaneous Provisions) Act and theNational Minimum Wage. We had a verypositive meeting with Minister Dohertyregarding Shop Workers Rest Breaks and theneed for the legislation to be updated. Weare currently working to progress this.

WRC INSPECTIONS

Recently, we met with Padraig Dooley who isthe Head of Inspectorate with the WRC.is was a very open and transparentmeeting in which Padraig spoke about theWRC and Retail and addressed concernsthat the committee raised on behalf of RetailExcellence members.

Padraig advised us that out of 363inspections in Retail/Wholesale businesses in2018 60% of these were found to be inbreach with inadequate record keeping beingthe main issue in 46% of businessesinspected. 20% of inspections are based oncomplaints received and in retail thesecomplaints are mainly related to rest breaks

He also advised us that the WRC will soonpublish a new Public Holiday Informationand Calculations explanatory booklet andasked that we give him ideas for templates todevelop which will help employers. In 2019we can expect to see the WRC focus on Parttime v Full time conditions, Unpaid work,Rest breaks and the 48 hour average workingweek.

HR FORUM

Following on from the success of our firstHR Forum in 2018 we recently hosted oursecond HR Forum last month with a themeof Best Practice Recruitment & Engagement.

COMMITTEE

e members of the committee are listedbelow – feel free to contact any of us if youhave a comment or an idea you would like usto pursue or if you would like to get involvedin the committee.

• Tracy O’Brien – Chairperson • Tommy Smyth – Managing Partner, Tom Smyth & Associates• Rachel Norton – HR Manager, O’Keeffe Group • Christina Cunningham - Group HR Manager, Kavanagh Group• Holly Nolan – HR Manager, O’Briens Wines• Clare Sheridan – Head of HR, Insomnia Coffee Company• Sarah Connor – Senior HR Manager, Northern Europe Gamestop

Tracy O’Brien, a former retail HR Director,is Chairperson of the Retail Excellence HRCommittee and is Managing Director of ePeople Password, a business which focuses onunlocking the potential in people throughtraining, coaching, mentoring, mediation andpositive HR Solutions

The Retail Excellence HR Committee is oneyear in existence and it has been a variedand interesting year!

UPDATERETAIL EXCELLENCE HR COMMITTEE PROGRESS

Tracy O’Brien,Chairperson Retail

Excellence HR Committee.


1. UNDERSTAND THEIRBEHAVIOUR

Merchants need know when globe shoppersare in town. e Global Blue holidaycalendar is a great tool for this. e calendarprovides key dates and holidays for 2019 thatcould impact Globe Shopper travel inEurope. We can tailor our marketing andpromotional campaigns to directly targetcertain nationalities. For each nationality, wehighlight the months when they are likely totravel and spend the most in Europe. iswill give you an indication of what to expectand which nationalities are likely to visit yourstore month by month.

2. CHINESE TRAINING FORTEAM MEMBERS

Cultural understanding cansometimes be a hurdle with in-storecommunication. Staff members canbe prepared for this with somesimple “Cultural Training”.Knowing how to greet a Chinesetraveller or knowing what holiday ishappening at that time andcommunicating this i.e. “GoldenWeek” (China) or “Dragon BoatFestival” (China & Hong Kong)will build rapport and simply put asmile on your customers face.

3 IN COUNTRY TARGETING

Social media can be very useful for incountry targeting. Most businesses will havea Facebook or Instagram account. Used inconjunction with our holiday calendar,Merchants can target travellers while incountry to push out promotional campaignsat high international spending times. GlobalBlue can also manage these campaigns forour merchant partners.

4. CLEAR & COMPELLINGSIGNAGE INSTORE

Point of Sale Signage is very important.

ere is often a language barrier with taxFree Shopping. e Global Blue brand needsno translation, it lets the shopper know thatyou offer Tax Free Shopping Service andwith Global Blue the refund process will besimple.

is alone attracts customers into store. Itshould be placed on exterior doors andwindows and also strategically throughoutthe store including all changing rooms.

SUMMARY

Since 2016 we have seen an increase of 34%in Tax Free Shopping transactions. WithGlobe Shoppers spending on average 4 timesmore than a local shopper, Irish merchantsreally do need to be engaging with TFS as aservice and maximising on the potentialrevenue. A recent survey shows that Tax FreeShopping is the number 1. Service expectedby International Shoppers. I think it isimportant to mention once again that staffawareness and training is key to upselling tointernational Shoppers and we are here towork with progressive retailers. Global Bluehave a new Customer Service Desk atDublin Airport to ensure all of ourmerchants’ shoppers are refunded. Feel freeto contact me to discuss your requirementsand ensure you are maximising your sales.

To DRIVE YoURTAXFREESHOPPING

4 TOP TIPS

THIS UPCOMING TOURIST SEASON


In this article, Strategic Partner Global Blue, Business DevelopmentManager Mark Cox discusses some of the key tips retailers can

take this upcoming Tourist Season in order to maximise your Tax Free Shopping.


HAVE AN EFFECTIVE PRE-SALESTRATEGY

While no two businesses are exactly alike wehave found that there are a number ofcommon elements to an effective pre-salestrategy.

1. Fit for purpose commercially: Optimisethe corporate structure from both a buyerand a seller perspective, without impactingon the performance of the business itself inthe years up to the sale.

2. Flexible: Adapt your strategy to takeaccount of changing circumstances, e.g. bybringing your children on board in thebusiness.

3. Tax-efficient: Be aware of the various taxreliefs which may be applicable on a sale andensure you have all your ‘ducks in a row’ interms of meeting any conditions attaching tosuch reliefs. is can significantly impactupon the post-tax sales proceeds you stand torealise.

4. Consistent with your overall financialplan: A business exit strategy should not existin isolation; it should be part of an overallplan to meet your short and long-termfinancial goals.

PUT IN PLACE A FINANCIAL PLAN

Put in place a financial plan to help youidentify your objectives and create a roadmap to achieving them. It can help youunderstand how long your capital base canendure under various spending and inflationassumptions. is is particularly relevant in apost-sale environment where you go fromowning a productive asset from which youcan draw a salary, to managing a pool ofcapital which has to support your spendingneeds.

MAXIMISE YOUR PENSION FUNDING

Building up a pension through a small self-administered scheme is a tax-efficient way ofsaving for retirement and extracting cashfrom your business.

rough a combination of company andpersonal contributions, owners have theopportunity to build up a tax-efficient fundof up to €2 million.

ENSURE YOUR BUSINESS ISSTRUCTURED APPROPRIATELY

Another frequent question is the optimalstructure when gearing up for a sale. ere isno one-size-fits-all approach. A variety ofstructuring options ranges from anunincorporated sole trader to a holdingcompany structure containing one or moreincorporated entities.

OPTIMISE YOUR TAX RELIEFS

Consider what tax reliefs might apply on apotential sale, and how you can avail of them.e basic rate of Capital Gains Tax (CGT)on a disposal of assets is 33% (2019 level).Certain more favourable treatments canapply depending on your circumstances andthe structure of the business:

- Retirement relief can provide for a tax-free sale subject to certain conditions beingmet and certain consideration amounts;

- ere is also a 10% rate of CGT whichcan apply to the first €1 million of gainswhen a business is sold, subject to certainconditions;

- If your business is held through a holdingcompany structure, it can be possible to deferthe CGT altogether until the proceeds aretaken out of the holding company.

START NOW

Putting in place an effective pre-sale strategybegins well in advance of the sale of thebusiness itself. Starting early, creating andsticking to a plan and working withexperienced advisers is critical to ensuringthe best possible outcome.

Kevin Doherty is an Associate Director, DavyPrivate Clients. He works with business ownersto provide best-in-class financial planning,investment management and asset selection. Toarrange a consultation, please contact Kevin on+353 1 672 4267 or email him [email protected].

Please note that this article is general innature, and does not take account of yourfinancial situation or investment objectives.It is not intended to constitute tax, financialor legal advice and is based on Davy’sunderstanding of current tax legislation inIreland. Davy does not provide tax or legaladvice. . Prior to making any decision whichmay have tax, legal or other financialimplications you should seek independentprofessional advice. ere are risks associatedwith putting any financial plan or strategy inplace. e value of investments may go downas well as up.

Davy Private Clients is a division of J & E Davy. J&E

Davy, trading as Davy, is regulated by the Central Bank

of Ireland. Davy is a member of Euronext Dublin and

the London Stock Exchange. In the UK, Davy is

authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and

authorised and subject to limited regulation by the

Financial Conduct Authority. Details about the extent

of our authorisation and regulation by the Financial

Conduct Authority are available from us on request.

PlannIng To sEll YoUR bUsInEss

Whether you are looking to sell your business now orlater there are many issues to consider.

At a business level there are tax, legal and commercial aspects to deal with. There are also questions around how yourdesired income in retirement will be funded and how to prioritise any competing financial obligations.

WHAT’S YOUR STRATEGY?TAXFREESHOPPING

SUPPLIER DIRECTORY

STAR CATEGORY OF COMPANY COMPANY ACCOUNT MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION REFEREES

Address Capture Software Autoaddress Conor Moules +353 (0) 1 514 3439 [email protected] www.autoaddress.ie Bank of Ireland, Fastway Couriers,

Musgrave Group

Address Capture Software GeoDirectory Dara Keogh +353 (0) 1 705 7005 [email protected] www.geodirectory.ie Pallas Foods, Tesco Ireland

Advertising Planning, Procurement Buy Media Fergal O’Connor +353 (0) 87 2450064 [email protected] www.buymedia.ie Ashford Castle, Pamex Ltd

& Monitoring

AI & Machine Learning, Data Science Rubikloud Technologies Inc Brian MacMahon +353 (0) 87 273 4119 [email protected] Retail Excellence

and Analytics www.rubikloud.com

Auctioneer Lisney Emma Coffey +353 (0) 1 638 2700 [email protected] www.lisney.com Irish Times, Ionet Ltd

Audit, Tax, Advisory Services Grant Thornton Damian Gleeson +353 (0) 61 607 993 [email protected] Carrolls Irish Gifts,

www.grantthornton.ie/industry/consumer-products Retail Excellence Ireland

Automated Design Tweak Shane Corcoran +353 (0) 66 979 1455 [email protected], www.tweak.com Bewleys, Savills

Branding, Store Design, E-Commerce Bradley Brand and Design Andrew Bradley +353 (0) 86 258 4368 [email protected] www.bradleybrand.ie Fields Jewellers, Kay's Kitchen,

Keelings's

Branding, Store Design, E-Commerce IDEA Ciaran Flanagan +353 (0) 1 250 0050 [email protected] www.idea.ie Bord Bia, Insomnia

Broadcast Media Sky Media Ireland Gareth Genockey +353 (0) 1 614 7611 [email protected] www.skymedia.ie Albany Home Decor

Business Training, Coaching & Mentoring Action Coach Business Coaching Paul Fagan +353 (0) 1 891 6220 [email protected] Gerry Browne Jewellers,

www.actioncoachireland.com The Italian Tile & Stone Studio

Cash Handling Solutions Premium Cash Solutions Alan Condron +353 (0) 1 561 6000 [email protected] Gunnebo, Topaz

www.premiumcashsolutions.com

Cash Handling Solutions Glory Global David O'Meara +353 (0) 1 467 0542 [email protected] Musgrave Group

www.glory-global.com

Cash Handling Solutions SUZOHAPP Trevor Andrews +353 (0) 87 958 1277 [email protected] Retail Excellence

www.suzohapp.com

Cash Logistics Services GSLS Paul Cahill +353 (0) 87 133 6000 [email protected] [email protected] www.gsls.ie Applegreen, O'Briens Wines and Spirits

Denise McCarthy +353 (0) 87 146 5085

Coin Counting Machines Coindrum Lukas Decker +353 (0) 1 53 947 88 [email protected] www.coindrum.com Foreign Currency Exchange,

Supervalu Clondakin

Connected Retail Solutions MJ Flood Technology Keith Hanley +353 (0) 1 466 3526 [email protected] www.mjf.ie Applegreen, Three

Connected Retail Solutions Fujitsu Caragh O‚‘Carroll +353 (0) 86 804 4099 [email protected] www.fujitsu.com Premier Lotteries, Topaz

Consumer Finance Flexi-Fi PJ Byrne +353 (0) 83 448 8820 [email protected] www.flexifi.com Compu b, Harvey Norman

Consumer Market Research & Training Customer Perceptions Emma Harte +353 (0) 42 93 39911 [email protected] DAA, RAI

& Optimum Results www.customerperceptions.ie

Creative & Print Services The Smart Group Tom Ryan +353 (0) 86 780 1626 [email protected] www.thesmartgroup.ie Euronics, FromMe2You

Customer Communication Solutions Circulator Claire Staunton +353 (0) 87 203 1492 [email protected] www.circulator.com Musgrave Group, Smyths Toys

Decorative and Structural Panel Solutions Finsa Forest Products Padraig Condon +353 (0) 61 921 038 [email protected] www.finsa.com Retail Excellence

Digital Experience Platform Acquia Inc. Chris Holt +44 (0) 7759 120075 [email protected] www.acquia.com Retail Excellence

Digital Marketing Agency Core Optimisation Caroline Dunlea +353 (0) 86 086 2840 [email protected] Compu b, Great National Hotels

www.coreoptimisation.com

Digital Marketing Agency Ebow David Douglas +353 (0) 1 478 9090 [email protected] www.ebow.ie Great Outdoors, Peter Mark

Digital Marketing Agency Wolfgang Digital Alan Coleman +353 (0) 1 663 8020 [email protected] www.wolfgangdigital.com iClothing, McElhinneys

Domain Name Registration IE Domain Registry Registration Services +353 (0) 1 236 5400 [email protected] www.iedr.ie Matrix Internet, Software Design Ltd

E-Commerce Agency StudioForty9 Ger Keohane +353 (0) 21 239 2349 [email protected] www.studioforty9.com Carrolls Irish Gifts, DID Electrical,

Homeland

E-Commerce Agency Kooomo Leigh Byrne +353 (0) 87 263 5549 [email protected] www.kooomo.com Avoca, Butlers Chocolates

E-Commerce Performance Marketing Ve Interactive Ireland Robbie Dobbyn +353 85 877 2873 [email protected] www.ve.com Argento, 53 Degrees North

Employee Time & Attendance Software Elephant Smart Business Linda O’Reilly +353 (0)87 698 2135 [email protected] Five Guys, Fresh The Good Food Market

www.elephantsmartbusiness.com

Employee Workforce Management Solutions Timepoint Colin Ryan +353 (0) 1 406 7610 [email protected] www.timepoint.ie Applegreen, Carroll's Irish Gifts,

Musgrave Group

Employer Relations Department Welfare (INTREO) Caitriona Bracken +353 (0) 1 6732 741 [email protected] www.welfare.ie Retail Excellence

Energy Procurement Exemplar Energy Jonathan Fitzpatrick +353 (0) 87 276 8778 [email protected] Arboretum Home and Garden Centre,

www.exemplarenergy.ie Shaws Department Stores

Energy Services Pinergy Colm Foley +353 (0) 1 524 2825 [email protected] www.pinergy.ie Aramark, DNG

Energy Supplier Flogas Natural Gas Robert Irwin +353 (0) 41 98 31 041 [email protected] www.flogas.ie Carmac Retail Ltd,

Musgrave Wholesale Partners Ireland

EPOS Solutions K3 Retail Mark Bryans +353 (0) 1 820 8321 [email protected] www.k3retail.ie DAA, Woodies

EPOS Solutions Positive Systems Solutions Damien O'Driscoll +353 (0) 1 6296058 [email protected] www.pss.ie Conns Cameras, Croom Cycles

EPOS Solutions Retail Integration Patrick Heslin +353 (0) 1 429 6800 [email protected] www.retail-int.com Mothercare,

O'Briens Wine,Beer and Spirits

EPOS Solutions CBE Oliver Sheridan 1890 373 000 [email protected] www.cbe.ie CH Chemists, Paul Byron Shoes

EPOS Solutions Eirpoint Niall Cannon +353 (0) 65 686 8880 [email protected] www.eirpoint.ie Dubarry Ireland,

Patrick Bourke Menswear

EPOS Solutions Intact Software Mark McArdle +353 (0) 42 933 7142 [email protected] Brett Supplies, Tilestyle

www.intactsoftware.ie

EPOS Solutions & IT Consultancy The IT Department Jason Scott +353 (0) 86 085 0555 [email protected] www.theitdepartment.ie Galvin For Men, Hanley & Co

Facilities Management Grosvenor Services Marianne Lambert +353 (0) 87 980 3377 [email protected] Kildare Village,

www.grosvenorservices.com Westfield Shopping Centre

Feedback & Customer Experience Software CX Index David Heneghan +353 (0) 86 171 7022 [email protected] www.cxindex.com Musgrave Group, Selfridges Group

Financial Services Grid Finance Andrea Linehan +353 (0) 85 192 4047 [email protected] www.gridfinance.ie Blueface,

Independent Finance Providers of Ireland

STAR CATEGORY OF COMPANY COMPANY ACCOUNT MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION REFEREES

Financial Services Linked Finance Tom O'Reilly +353 (0) 1 531 2293 [email protected] www.linkedfinance.com Chopped, Mr Price

Footfall Counting, Digital Signage Detectag Retail Services John Dempsey +353 (0) 86 243 7100 [email protected] An Post, Eir, Meteor

& Loss Prevention www.retailservices.ie

Free Recruitment Service EmploymentFocus, Focus Ireland Catherine Murphy +353 (0) 1 878 6514 [email protected] Retail Excellence

www.focusireland.ie

Gift voucher and Gift Card Solutions FromMe2You Gift Card John Wall +353 (0) 87 666 6795 [email protected] www.me2you.ie Fields Jewellers, Harvey Norman

Gift Voucher and Gift Card Solutions Love2shop / Park Retail Robert O'Donnell +353 (0) 1 294 4090 [email protected] www.love2shop.ie Argos, Debenhams, Heatons

Graphic Design, Printing, Delivery Sooner Than Later Mark Finney +353 (0) 1 284 4777 [email protected] Domino's Pizza,

www.soonerthanlater.com The Suitable Clothing Company

HACCP Systems and Temperature Monitoring Kelsius Ciaran Gallagher +353 (0) 83 855 4404 [email protected] www.kelsius.com Centra Carnmore,

SuperValu Cunningham

Hot Beverage Business Solutions Bewley's Tea & Coffee Hugh Healy +353 (0) 1 533 4717 [email protected] www.bewleys.com Butlers Chocolates, Supermacs

Hotel, Conference Venue Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown Carol Byrne +353 (0) 86 201 8997 [email protected] Avtek, DID Electrical

www.cpireland.crowneplaza.com

HR Consultant Tom Smyth & Associates Tommy Smyth +353 (0) 21 463 4154 [email protected] www.tsaconsultants.ie BB's Coffee & Muffins, Petstop, Skechers

Human Resources Solution Strandum Ltd Brendan Carney +353 (0) 1 899 1900 [email protected] www.strandum.com O'Callaghan Hotels, Topaz

Information Technology and Service Gamma Location Intelligence Richard Garry +353 (0) 1 707 9888 [email protected] www.gamma.ie Bank of Ireland,

Fastway Couriers, Musgrave Group

Insurance Broker, Pensions Willis Towers Watson John Golden +353 (0) 86 419 7561 [email protected] www.willis.ie Sam McCauley Chemists

and Risk Management

Insurance Products FBD Insurance Patrick Carey +353 (0) 86 815 4193 [email protected] www.fbd.ie Retail Excellence

IT, Domain and Hosting Services Blacknight Michele Neylon +353 (0) 59 918 3072 [email protected] www.blacknight.com Irish Pumps and Valves Ltd,

The Cool Bean Company

IT Security Radius Technologies Jerry Buckley 1890 592500 [email protected] www.radius.ie Ardkeen Stores, Electrocity

Licence Exempt Music Provider Amazing Media Grant Thompson +44 (0)191 603 0180 [email protected] Woodies

www.amazinginstore.com

Logistics DHL Express Ciara Hynes +353 (0) 86 197 0085 [email protected] www.dhl.ie Carrolls Irish Gifts, Eurostyle

Parcel Delivery Service DPD Tim Dare +353 (0) 906 420 500 [email protected] www.dpd.ie Harvey Norman

Marketing Automation Pointy Cathal D'Arcy +353 (0) 83 045 1817 [email protected] www.pointy.com Blackrock Cellar, Expert Hardware

Material Handling Equipment Capcon Rory Comerford +353 (0)85 133 4323 [email protected] www.capcon.ie Glanbia, Musgrave Retail Partners

and Service Provider

Mystery Shopping, Store Assessments Crest Mystery Shopping Ireland Michele Cawley +353 (0) 65 684 6927 [email protected] www.crestireland.com Harvey Norman

Omni-Channel Retail Solutions ProStrategy Joe Kelly +353 (0) 1 429 1977 [email protected] www.prostrategy.ie Allcare Pharmacy Group,

Casey's Furniture, Ecco Shoes

Online Training Solutions Olive Media Robbie Glynn +353 (0) 86 144 9012 [email protected] www.olivemedia.com Tesco Ireland

Packaging Recycling & Recovery Compliance Repak Mark Hayden +353 (0) 1 467 0190 [email protected] www.repak.ie Musgrave Group, O Birds Foodmarket Ltd

Payment Solutions AIB Merchant Services Mark Patterson +353 (0) 86 189 3681 [email protected] www.aibms.com Born Clothing, Brook Foods

Personal Wealth Management Davy Group Kevin Doherty +353 (0) 1 614 8778 [email protected] www.davy.ie Retail Excellence

Personalised Retail Packaging Barry Packaging Eamonn Barry +353 (0) 87 263 9487 [email protected] The National Gallery of Ireland,

www.barrypackaging.com Totalhealth

Personalised Retail Packaging Delpac Maria O’Grady +353 (0) 66 947 9298 [email protected] www.delpac.ie Arnotts, Patrick Bourke Menswear

Personalised Retail Packaging JJ O’Toole Vicki O'Toole +353 (0) 61 229 333 [email protected] www.jjotoole.ie Arboretum Home and Garden Centre,

Newbridge Silverware

Personalized E-Commerce Experiences Nosto Chloe Pascal +44 (0) 844 484 9625 [email protected] www.nosto.com Euronics, Vaughan Shoes

Pharmacy IT Solutions McLernons Robin Hanna +353 (0) 1 450 1916 [email protected] www.mclernons.ie Mulligan Pharmacy Group,

Sam McCauley Chemists

Print and Design Kingdom Printers David Keane 066 712 1136 [email protected] Retail Excellence

www.kingdomprinters.net

Print, Packaging & Display McGowans Print David Fogarty +353 (0) 1 410 6783 [email protected] www.mcgowansprint.com Butlers Chocolates, Lidl

Recruitment Excel Recruitment Barry Whelan +353 (0) 1 814 8747 [email protected] Kilkenny Group, Topaz

www.excelrecruitment.ie

Recruitment Head Hunt International Damien Sheridan +353 (0) 1 4188188 [email protected] Best Menswear, Supermacs

www.headhuntinternational.com

Recruitment PJ Personnel Clare Byrne +353 (0) 87 362 8119 [email protected] www.pjpersonnel.ie Graces's Eurospar, Rooneys SuperValu

Recruitment Teamworx Amy McGlynn +353 (0) 45 898037 [email protected] www.teamworx.ie County Kildare Chamber, Kilkenny Group

Recruitment & Training Noel Group Valerie O'Connell +353 (0) 86 022 5044 [email protected] www.noelgroup.ie Retail Excellence

Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Anglo Irish Refrigeration Trevor Wright +353 (0) 87 820 0245 [email protected] www.anglo-irish.com Applegreen, BWG

Renewable Energy Solutions Local Power Pat Smith +353 (0) 86 261 3374 [email protected] www.localpower.ie John Cahill Fashions,

Kavanaghs Pharmacy

Retail Business Solution Tax GO Jaqueline Almeida +353 (0) 89 943 4826 [email protected] Ayesha & Yafi Healthcare,

www.taxgoglobal.com Avalon Medical Services

Retail Design Maria O'Neill Retail Design & Associates Maria O'Neill +353 (0) 87 250 7964 [email protected], Gino's Italian Ice Cream,

www.mariaoneilldesign.com Stafford's Bakery

Retail Design and Branding Tap Creations Criona Turley + 353 (0) 86 853 6408 [email protected] www.tapcreations.ie Jump Juice Bars, Musgrave Group

Retail Execution Solutions Reflexis Systems Anton Medford +44 (0) 7979 706285 [email protected] Dixons Carphone, McDonalds

www.reflexisinc.com

Retail Lighting Specialists Pro-Light Design & Technology Paul Hanlon +353 (0)1 2962607 [email protected] www.pro-light.ie Donnybrook Fair, Ladbrokes

Risk Management Solutions Seachange Paul Cummins +353 (0) 87 052 24 95 [email protected] Applegreen, McCabes Pharmacy Group

www.seachange.ie

STAR

CATEGORY OF COMPANY COMPANY ACCOUNT MANAGER CONTACT INFORMATION REFEREES

Security and Electronic Equipment Service MTS Security Gerry Scully + 353 (0) 818 365538 [email protected] www.mtssecurity.ie BWG, Topaz

Security Services Mercury Security Management Frank Cullen +353 (0) 1 861 2130 [email protected] Elverys Intersport, Harvey Norman

www.mercurysecurity.ie

Security Tagging, Footfall Counting Virtek Vincent McKeown +353 (0) 1 885 1718 [email protected] www.virtek-irl.com Centra Dromiskin, Willow

Shopfitting and Retail Design Johnston Shopfitters ShaneBrennan +353 (0) 86 244 0714 [email protected] Carolls Irish Gifts, Easons,

Andrew Johnston +353 (0) 1 419 0419 [email protected] Meaghers Pharmacy Group

www.johnston-shopfitters.com

Shopfitting and Retail Design IIS Space Nick Fitzgerald +353 (0) 87 125 1774 [email protected] www.interioris.com Centra, Eir

Shopfitting and Retail Design McCabe Meenaghan Associates Barry McCabe +353 (0) 87 293 1173 [email protected] www.mdg.ie Arboretum Home and Garden,

McCabes Pharmacy

Shopfitting and Retail Design Store Design Paul Ryan +353 (0) 1 413 1350 [email protected] [email protected] Fallers Jewellers,

[email protected] www.storedesign.ie Patrick Bourke Menswear

Shopfitting and Retail Design Storefit Shopfitters Eamonn Brien +353 (0) 21 4344544 [email protected] www.storefit.com Ecco Shoes, Sam McCauley Chemists

Shopfitting and Retail Design Shop Equipment Martin Hendricken +353 (0) 87 284 6464 [email protected] www.shopequipment.ie Garvey Group, Woodies DIY

Shopfitting and Retail Design Storebest Shopfitting Stephen Murphy +353 (0) 87 638 4359 [email protected] www.storebest.ie Homestore & More, Vodafone

Specialist Entrance Matting Provider Footfall Ger Halloran +353 (0) 86 235 3515 [email protected] www.footfall.ie Dunnes Stores, Musgrave Group

Stocktaking Service Stocktaking.ie Patrick McDermott +353 (0) 87 138 9813 [email protected] [email protected] Carraig Donn, Elverys,

Sharon Kelly +353 (0) 86 389 9542 www.stocktaking.ie Tiger Stores

Stocktaking Service TakeStock Bernard Brown +353 (0) 1 77 55 242 [email protected] www.wecount.ie Joyce's Supermarket, Musgrave group

Stocktaking Service Retail & Asset Solutions Colm Roche +353 (0) 87 781 3678 [email protected] B&Q, DAA, Lloyds

www.retailassetsolutions.com

Stocktaking, Merchandising & Retail Services RGIS Inventory Specialists Marcin Dettlaff +353 (0) 87 1272698 [email protected] www.rgis.ie Lifestyle Sports, Tesco Ireland

Store Design Fitting DDC Group Ashley Gardiner +353 (0) 1 401 3050 [email protected] www.ddcshopfit.ie Ebay, IKEA

Tax Free Shopping Fexco Tax Free Lisa Murphy +353 (0) 86 021 8192 [email protected] www.shoptaxfree.com Guinness Storehouse,

Newbridge Silverware

Tax free Shopping Global Blue Mark Cox +353 (0) 87 707 5041 [email protected] www.globalblue.com The Cloth Shop, Zwilling Kildare Outlets

Tax free Shopping Planet Tracey Despard +353 (0) 86 855 5292 [email protected] Carolls Irish Gifts, Ecco Shoes

www.planetpayment.com

Technology Consultancy Keytree Adrian Slater +44 (0) 203 691 2936 [email protected] www.keytree.co.uk Dyson

Telecommunications Ripplecom Arlene Kenny +353 (0) 61 571154 [email protected] www.ripplecom.net Retail Excellence

Video Production and Graphic Design Another Avenue Sharyn Mitchell +353 (0) 1 660 1588 [email protected] Retail Excellence, Sky Ireland

www.anotheravenue.com

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