Click Green

Online shoppers urged to ‘Click Green, Buy Nearby’ this festive season to support businesses in Ireland

With €4.65 billion expected to be spent by Irish shoppers during the festive period, buying nearby will make a huge impact locally

November 25th, 2020

Digital Business Ireland (DBI), the leading representative body for digital, ecommerce and online businesses, has today urged consumers to support businesses and jobs in Ireland by making an effort to Click Green and Buy Nearby when shopping online this festive season.

The Covid-19 pandemic and associated public health restrictions have fuelled a huge surge in online shopping which has prompted the Click Green, Buy Nearby campaign, launched today by Digital Business Ireland (DBI) in association with permanent tsb. The companies have come together to drive awareness of the importance of supporting businesses in Ireland during a time of great disruption.

According to findings in a recent Tipping Point Report compiled by .IE and Digital Business Ireland,  47% of all online spend during the Covid-19 pandemic is fulfilled by businesses operating outside of Ireland with the remaining 53% of consumer spend benefitting Irish SMEs. 67% of those buying from SMEs said they did so out of a sense of solidarity.

Chief Executive of DBI, Lorraine Higgins explained: “The key objective of our campaign is to encourage online shoppers to make a concerted effort to purchase goods and products from local websites in order to help these businesses bounce back. We know the vast majority of online shoppers want to support Irish businesses so tapping into this sense of patriotism for the economic good of the country is crucial. In a recent Report we compiled in conjunction with .IE we learned that 41% of respondents purchased a product from a local business online. So, we are hoping our campaign will encourage more to Click Green, buy nearby and support businesses in their own community.”

 “As the busy Christmas period approaches and consumers minds focus on gifting to families, friends and colleagues over Black Friday, Cyber Week and Small Business Saturday we are appealing to peoples sense of national solidarity. There are many benefits from clicking green and supporting businesses in Ireland from a trust, safety and price transparency which is not always the case with international sellers,” said Ms. Higgins.

 “Retailers and businesses have invested in their ecommerce infrastructure in order to have an online capability so we are appealing to people to shop on .IE websites, do a deep dive of Google searches and the products for sale on online marketplaces and  ensure they are supporting businesses located here. By Clicking Green, and buying nearby you will be helping the recovery of businesses, protecting jobs and communities at a time of great difficulty.”

 Head of Business Banking at permanent tsb, Mags Brennan said There has never been a more important time to support local businesses and we are delighted to lend our support to Digital Business Ireland’s Click Green initiative, urging consumers to support businesses and jobs in Ireland by making an effort to Click Green and buy nearby when shopping online this festive season.

If the over €4billion worth of consumer spending predicted this festive season was all directed towards local businesses then this would be a huge uplift for many SMEs supporting over one million jobs in our community.

Together with Digital Business Ireland we are asking people to think before they click and ensure they are supporting local businesses, many of whom who have transformed their businesses models to provide a high quality online service offering nationwide.”

ENDS

 

For Further Information Contact: Lorraine 087 9034883

 

 

 

Editors Notes

The Click Green, Buy Nearby campaign is a business-to-consumer initiative aimed at encouraging online shoppers to spend with businesses in Ireland this festive season. For every one euro spent locally

 

Every €1 spent in the local economy is worth €5 in actual terms. Local spending can increase by that much because the money circulates in the local economy. It is spent on locally-sourced goods and services and wages, which are also spent locally. €4.65 billion will be spent by Irish shoppers during the Christmas period, based on research by Retail Ireland

 

As part of the campaign, DBI has collaborated with a number of partners to bring supports to online businesses to help them increase their sales through their online platforms (websites, social media). The package of measures include:

  • Free advertising on Marketplace.humm.ie
  • Enabling businesses sell digital gift cards through Instagram and Facebook platforms - Loylap
  • Free ecommerce payments  - Prommt
  • Reduced ecommerce consultancy advice – Magico
  • eCommerce and online insights - .IE
  • Free mentoring – Digital Business Ireland board
  • Advice on how to realise your global ecommerce potential – DHL

 

For more information: https://www.digitalbusinessireland.ie/clickgreen/

 

 

About DBI 

Digital Business Ireland (DBI) is the voice of the Irish digital commerce sector. Set up in 2019, DBI has access to over 3,200 businesses and counts Health Stores Ireland, the Association of Fine Jewellers, County Kildare Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Inspire Network and IPAV among its membership. It continues to grow its membership footprint across a wide range of online and digital businesses to include technology, retail, hospitality, professional services, travel, transport, education, leisure, agri-business and property. 

DBI provides a range of services to its membership to include training and events, networking opportunities, general advisory, insights, advocacy and public policy influence all which facilitates digital businesses grow, thrive and achieve their ambitions. 

Social Media

Twitter: @DigitalIre @permanent_tsb

Hashtag: #ClickGreen