New funding has been announced for Waterford retail businesses to expand their online offering and presence to customers at home and abroad, a Fine Gael Senator John Cummins has said.
Senator Cummins was speaking after Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English announced more than 200 retailers who have been approved for funding under the Online Retail Scheme (ORS) administered by Enterprise Ireland.
This latest development under will see 216 retailers across all counties approved for funding of €9.29 million. The Scheme for retailers who already have an online presence and who have a physical store and is targeted at enhancing their online capability.
8 Waterford businesses have been successful in this round of the Online Retail Scheme. They will receive grants ranging from €10,000 to a maximum of €64,000. Recipients from this latest call are based across all counties in Ireland and are from a number of sectors, including hardware, pharmacy, clothing and furniture. The following Waterford Businesses are set to receive funding:
• Ardkeen Superstores
• GIY Ireland
• The Book Centre
• Paltel Ireland/ Irwins Megavision
• Mc Carthys Homevalue
• Fitzgerald’s Menswear- Heros/Evolution
• TRM Clothing
• Waterford Health Park Pharmacy
Senator Cummins said: “Many Irish companies have successfully made the digital transition in recent years and developed their online capability to sell their goods and services online.
“Consumer habits have also changed in recent years and it was great for them to know that that when they went online, they had local options instead of just the large international retailers, particularly when the pandemic occurred.
“Nationally, since 2018 more than 700 projects from retailers based in Ireland have been approved for €28.3m in funding through the Government’s Online Retail Scheme.
“We have seen how businesses benefited from this scheme throughout the pandemic, this funding will continue that revitalisation,” Senator Cummins said, and I was delighted to have Minister Damien English here in Waterford earlier this year to witness and visit some of those businesses who have benefitted from the scheme.
Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English added, “Retailers are at the heart of our communities across the country so the Government are delighted to support an additional 216 local businesses as they take this next step to increasing their sales capability by further developing their online offering.
“Such diversification is an important part of future-proofing a business as it allows retailers to explore new opportunities and reach new customers, both domestically and internationally. Through the Online Retail Scheme, we are enabling established retailers with a physical store the chance to compete for online sales that are currently going to businesses based outside the country.
“It is also pleasing to see that there has been a good spread of successful companies from around the country under this round of the Scheme with, 155 from the regions and 61 businesses based in Dublin”, Minister English concluded.