Meet-up group E-commerce Ireland is calling on Irish consumers to consider buying from Irish-based online stores when ordering Christmas gifts this year.
E-Commerce Ireland, a meet up group for Irish businesses that sell online have launched a campaign to encourage Irish consumers to order from Irish based online stores in the run up to Christmas.
“It has been reported that €4 billion was spent by Irish consumers online in 2012 and that €3 billion of that revenue was spent with international sellers,” according to Colm Griffin of E-Commerce Ireland.
“With Christmas on the horizon, the next few weeks are a key time for online traders and if our campaign resulted in even a 1pc swing towards consumers spending with Irish based online stores it would result in a €40 million euro boost to the local economy and improve the chances that many Irish online stores can survive, grow and create employment.”
E-Commerce Ireland was set-up in November 2012 and has already attracted a membership of over 550 people.
The group meets up once a month at free-to-attend events at the National College of Ireland and invites guest speakers with expertise in many areas which are key to selling online successfully to address the group and offer advice.
Creation of eMark
E-commerce Ireland’s call comes separate to news of the establishment of a new ‘eMark’ symbol – a kind of digital ‘guaranteed Irish’ mark – that it is hoped will support Irish jobs and businesses.
In the coming weeks, the industry members behind the eMark symbol will be revealed.
The organisers behind the eMark symbol pointed out that some 43pc of Irish consumers purchased online last year, and 2.6m Irish people regularly shop online. Some €4.1bn was spent on online shopping in Ireland in 2012, up from €2.96bn the previous year – but 75pc of these purchases went through companies outside Ireland.
