Hospitality, free parking and voucher scheme needed to boost towns, according to survey

Outdoor dining and hospitality are nominated as key to the renewal of town centres by a majority of consumers (54%) in a new survey by Champion Green.

Free parking in towns (51%) and a voucher or loyalty scheme specifically for local businesses (46%) are also popular suggestions to encourage recovery in local economies.

Hospitality not opening as planned this week is a significant blow to local renewal, according to Marian O’Gorman of Champion Green, who is also chairperson of Kilkenny Design Group. 

“The selection of local cafés, bars and restaurants is seen by many people as a reason to come into the local villages, towns and cities, and enhances the shopping experience”, she says.

People are now more aware of the connection between supporting local and prospects for economic recovery and jobs, the survey also shows.

There is recognition of the need to support local business, with 49% claiming to now spend more in smaller local businesses due to Covid-19.  Over one quarter, 28% of all adults, say they spend more online with local businesses too.

Two-thirds say supporting the local economy and jobs (67%) is the top motivation for spending with local traders.  56% of respondents say they are aware of shops or businesses locally that will not reopen after the pandemic. 

The convenience of having shops nearby (59%) is also acknowledged as an important reason for staying local by more than half of respondents.

However, just 51% of adults say they are confident in their employment situation, over the next three months, and only 30% have confidence in the state of the Irish economy in the short-term.

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