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WATCH LEO Limerick retailer event supports businesses to ‘maximise’ their Christmas season potential

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LEO Limerick Retail Development Workshop supports businesses ahead of a busy Christmas period.

The Limerick Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Retail Development Workshop offered support to local businesses gearing up for a busy Christmas season

The Limerick Local Enterprise Office (LEO) Retail Development Workshop offered support to local businesses gearing up for a busy Christmas season
Richard Lynch, I Love Limerick, Cllr Olivia O’Sullivan, Miriam Simon, Siobhan Quinn, LEO Limerick, and Nell Stitch, Pressed Flowers by Nell. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Experts and entrepreneurs joined LEO Limerick for a Retail Development Workshop at Engine on Cecil Street to highlight the range of services and supports available to local businesses as well as a workshop with retail expert Miriam Simon ahead of a busy Christmas season in the city.

Miriam Simon, an experienced retail strategist and founder of pto.ie led the in-person event, offering her expertise on a range of important topics tailored to the retail sector. Speaking with I Love Limerick at the event, Miriam gave three tips to entrepreneurs in the retail sector for this Christmas period.

Miriam said to begin with, looking at gift vouchers try to focus on the experience they offer, she said, “If you are selling a gift voucher that might be used for afternoon tea for two, for example, say this is an afternoon tea for two experience and then sell them the gift voucher.”


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The expert’s second tip involved having “trading levers up your sleeve” for if and when you encounter a slow or tough week, saying, “You can pull a lever to try and get trade moving.”

Finally, Miriam advised retailers to put themselves “in the consumer shoes” by prioritising thoughtfulness and personalisation “and think about experience”.

Seán Leddin, owner of Irish-themed Fíor Jewelry, attended the event and credited LEO Limerick for aiding his business since being founded in 2022 with free mentorships and helping develop his website.

Seán said, “Leo Limerick has been great. At the very start, I would have got a mentor for three sessions. They would have given me some basic startup advice – things I need to look out for in terms of accounting and financial planning, things like that – then down the line, I was fortunate enough to receive the Trading Online Voucher.”

The Limerick entrepreneur explained the grant he qualified for with LEO Limerick was worth up to €2,500 which went towards website development where he got to “redo my entire website”.

Siobhan Quinn, a business advisor at LEO Limerick, detailed some of the supports available to new and established local Limerick businesses, noting, “We offer supports in terms of funding, in terms of grants, in terms of mentoring and training. So there really is a huge benefit.”

One of the supports offered is workshops like the Retail Development Workshop, speaking about the workshop with Miriam Simon, Siobhán said, “The focus of this workshop was how to maximise your sales for the last quarter of 2024 and also give you a bit of edge moving into 2025.

Elaine and Anne, owners of O’Donnell Boutique on Catherine Street and Lily store on Roches Street. Picture: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

“So the plan is you’re kind of organised before you’re in the middle of the chaos of Christmas and give yourself a little bit of information to strategize how you’re going to work through that busy, crazy season.”

Elaine and Anne, owners of O’Donnell Boutique on Catherine Street and Lily store on Roches Street, praised LEO Limerick for their ongoing support. With a busy retail season ahead, Elaine urged other retailers to apply for energy efficiency grants to help reduce winter energy costs.

Elaine said, “That is a grant again that a lot of people don’t know about that Leo Limerick is offering to help you with your energy costs. Everybody has to apply for it, it’s really, really important, especially at this time and coming into the winter. So if you haven’t done already, I’d really urge you to apply for it.”

The grants, Siobhán explained, “Decreasing your energy outgoing is just going to make such a difference to small retailers and the funding is available to cover 75 per cent of your upgrade costs up to a maximum of €10,000.

A full list of supports and further information are available on the LEO website.  

Pictures: Olena Oleksienko/ilovelimerick

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.