Taoiseach launches Small Business Saturday

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, on  Wednesday evening, was on hand to help launch Retail Excellence Ireland’s (REI) Small Business Saturday in Ireland.
Retail Ireland’s CEO, Ennis-based David Fitzsimons, said “This is a campaign which profiles small business and encourages consumers to shop locally and support jobs and enterprises in their respective communities. It is a social media and marketing campaign that provides local businesses with the collateral that they need to inform consumers on the power of their local spend.”

Small Business Saturday started as a grassroots, non-political, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to shop local and support small businesses in their communities. The day itself takes place on the first shopping Saturday in December each year. In 2014, that is Saturday December 6.

In September 2014, REI launched a Rural Town Revival document to provide guidance and motivation to stakeholders in all of Ireland’s towns and villages to work together collaboratively to design and implement a plan which will reinvigorate towns and villages with a view to re-engaging both citizens and customers with their respective town or village.