Shop local promotion backfires

A shop local promotion posted through Cavan letterboxes last week has sparked controversy, after it emerged that an Enniskillen company printed the vouchers. The Print Factory had printed leaflets and money-off coupons for 24 retailers and businesses throughout Co. Cavan and delivered them together in an envelope to every household in the county. The exterior of the envelope had printed 10 reasons to shop local, but this caused a stir when the name, logo and contact details of The Print Factory, Enniskillen, appeared underneath. The controversy erupted in the same week that Retail Ireland warned that 1,700 jobs will be lost during November due to cross-border shopping. Aidan Cosgrove, the director of The Print Factory, confirmed to The Anglo-Celt yesterday (Tuesday) that the initiative was his own. The leaflets were printed and distributed in conjunction with An Post. "We were asked by a few people and we thought it was a nice idea and there was an opportunity to do it but we were not out to offend anybody," he said. Mr. Cosgrove accepted that it was somewhat contradictory to print "10 reasons to shop local" in Cavan directly above an advertisement for an Enniskillen company, but pointed out that the distribution of the money-off coupons could only encourage Cavan consumers to shop locally. Cavan Chamber president Eamon McDwyer called the promotional campaign "ridiculous" given the Enniskillen branding on the envelope. He agreed that it didn't do the shop local campaign any favours and emphasised that it was vital for consumers to support local businesses and retain jobs. Mr. McDwyer said it was important to clarify that the Chamber had no input in the mail drop and that the project was initiated and driven by The Print Factory. Asked about The Key to Cavan booklet available free in stores and hotels across the county, which also appears to originate from an Enniskillen-based company Upscale Marketing, Mr. McDwyer said Abbeyset printed it. He explained that the format for the guide to shopping in Cavan was designed by Upscale Marketing, which had done a similar booklet for Enniskillen and Ashbourne. The Enniskillen booklet caused a stir last year when it was put through Cavan letterboxes. "It was a ready-made format; the quality was good, the design was good and we agreed to do endorse one for Cavan on the basis that it was printed locally," said Mr. McDwyer. He added that it was a defensive strategy to prevent the same Enniskillen guide again coming into Cavan. He added that a local person was employed to sell the adverts for the Cavan guide.