I Support Irish, a new online shopping portal that will sell a range of Irish retail brands both in Ireland and in the US, was officially launched in Dublin today.
The company is expecting to sell more than 2,000 Irish products, including handcrafts, art, books, cookery, foods, jewelry and fashion.
Retail partners on the site include the Graham Knuttel, Jim Fitzpatrick, Joanne Hynes, Clodagh McKenna, Belle Cheminee, Mercier Press, Rockstar Tan, McCul Clothing, Handcraft Hurleys, Burren Smokehouse and Ri na Mara.
Partner brands are charged a 10pc commission on their sales, which includes the cost of online payment charges.
According to the company’s founder and CEO, Alan Kavanagh, it will begin by targeting online shoppers in Ireland.
“If you consider that €2.13bn was spent on online purchases in Ireland alone last year and with over 70pc claiming to now shop online, we are launching in Ireland first,” he said. “With the dramatic drop in retail in Ireland as a result of the recession then the only platform for struggling retailers is online. We provide that solution.”
A US move planned in June
In June of this year, I Support Irish plans to move into the US market. Kavanagh said he will target the Irish American diaspora of more than 45m who seek out Irish goods, such as designer wear, handcraft hurleys, crafts, foods and jewelry.
“It’s good news for Irish brands who don’t have a web presence and who need to take advantage of an e-commerce environment through our portal” he said.
“This is really an online department store set to capitalise on the surge in the growth of the online retail sector at a time when the traditional retail model is steadily declining in Ireland,” said Kavanagh. “The company is currently searching for a further 200 companies, including those seeking export opportunities. Plans are also under way to tap into the UK, China and Russian markets.”
Article courtesy of Bizstartup.ie