Online shop for Clonmel's independent retailers to be up and running by early summer

A company spearheading the establishment of a digital shop where independent Clonmel retailers can sell their products collectively online plans to have the venture up and running by early summer following a very positive information meeting about the initiative last week.

Tap Retail hosted the information meeting about setting up Tipperary’s first Digital Retail Village for Clonmel businesses at Clonmel Town Hall.

The company’s founder and CEO Stephen Hallahan and Head of Business Development Barry Moylan said they were delighted with the turnout of up to 25 representatives of local businesses.

Mr Moylan said they are very confident that between 10-15 of them will sign up to sell their products and services on the proposed Clonmel Digital Retail Village.

The businesses interested, so far, in taking part in the venture range from food, health, fashion and hardware stores to outdoor activities, pharmacies, pet and convenience stores.

Mr Hallahan said the feedback they received from businesses who attended the information meeting was very positive.

“Every single one of them gave it a thumbs up. There wasn’t one dissenting voice. They were all saying it’s a great idea for the town.”

Mr Moylan estimates they will be ready to launch the online store around May.

In the meantime, retailers and other businesses interested in selling through the Digital Retail Village are applying for financial support under the Government’s Digital for Business Initiative to assist them with adapting to doing business online. The funding scheme is administered locally through the Tipperary Local Enterprise Office.

Mr Moylan and Mr Hallahan are visiting Clonmel again this Wednesday to meet with local retailers and plan to visit the town weekly as they prepare to launch the online shop.

He invited anyone who missed the information meeting to contact them to arrange a meeting via their email addresses: stephen@tap-retail.com or barry@tap-retail.com.

They have to date visited about 40 business in Clonmel with Clonmel Town Team Chairman Noel Buckley to spread the word about the venture.

Mr Buckley attended last week’s information meeting along with Tipperary Chamber CEO Michelle Aylward and Tipperary County Council Town Regeneration Officer Shane Grogan, who are all supporting the venture.

Mr Moylan pointed out the Digital Retail Village also serves an important promotional and visibility function for participating businesses.

“You don’t necessarily need to be selling tons of stuff online. A lot of retailers do it for visibility.”

“I think it’s important to say this initiative is not taking business out of the town. It’s equipping businesses to be able to serve customers who are shopping online anyway and also try and bring people into the town.”

The first Tap Retail Digital Retail Village store was set up for the retailers of Foxrock in Dublin over a year ago and the company’s second store was established for Enniscorthy in Wexford before Christmas.

Tap Retail online stores are also in the pipeline for several other towns.

For more information on Tap Retail log onto: www.tap-retail.com