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KERRY County Council and Kerry Chambers have joined forces to appeal to everyone in Kerry to support local shops and businesses this Christmas.
They also want to encourage people to use a new online directory of Kerry businesses and services which they can support at this challenging time.
Shopkerry.ie is a new online portal which provides details of hundreds of Kerry shops which are open or providing online or delivery services.
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The aim of the new website and the ‘Shop Local’ campaign is to encourage consumers in the county to support the local economic recovery by spending locally this Christmas.
Businesses are being encouraged to sign up and register for inclusion on the online directory which has been launched online this afternoon.
The Cathaoirleach of Kerry County Council, Cllr Patrick Connor Scarteen appealed for solidarity with local shops and businesses this Christmas: “At the heart of every community in Kerry are local business owners who have endured enormous challenges during 2020. Because of the pandemic, they have been pushed to the brink, but they have innovated, evolved and adapted what they do, and how they do it, to survive. Now they depend on us, the people of Kerry, to support them as much as we can by spending what we can locally.
“As consumers this Christmas, we must show solidarity with local shops and services which employ our relatives, our neighbours and our friends. Every euro spent in Kerry helps to protect those jobs and support the local economy,” said Cllr Connor Scarteen.
On behalf of the Kerry Chambers, Ken Tobin CE of Tralee Chamber said: “Our towns are safe, open longer, glowing with Christmas lights and full of atmosphere for Christmas. Over the past number of weeks, we’ve stayed connected with customers online and with takeaway services, and while online is here to stay, you can’t beat the experience of shopping on the run in to Christmas. We are now entering a time where we also want to see customers coming back into our town centres and supporting all our local businesses in Kerry.”
“Whether you want to shop in person, have someone shop for you or shop local online or whether you call it Black Friday or Green Friday, all we ask is that you add a bit of Green and Gold to your shopping cart this Christmas and shop in Kerry,” said Ken.
Businesses or services wishing to be included in the online directory can register on shopkerry.ie. There is no fee for registering.
The new campaign will be supported by an advertising and promotion campaign with a strong social media and online presence over the coming weeks, using the hashtag #shopkerry
