Local businesses get behind 'Shop Navan" campaign

A new shopping rewards programme for Navan has received the strong backing of local shops and businesses, with the launch by Navan Chamber of Commerce of 'Shop Navan", a comprehensive local reward and support programme aimed at uniting independent retailers and businesses with their customers. The initiative will take the form of a 'Shop Local" campaign but the 'Shop Navan" programme promises to be more comprehensive and ambitious than many similar campaigns currently running. It will involve shoppers getting a loyalty card which will entitle them to discounts and special offers at participating outlets. Kathryn Lynch, Navan Chamber"s retail committee chairperson, explained: 'The 'Shop Navan" proposal is very ambitious and broad and was developed in a manner to unite independent retailers and business, so that they can draw on their collective strength to implement an inclusive area-wide strategy, ensuring genuine value for money for all customers and mutual support for themselves.' 'Shop Navan" was officially launched to a room full of local business-owners and managers, who warmly welcomed the initiative as a programme that was needed in the current economic climate to try to get the town back on its feet by offering customers genuine value for money, while also working to remind everyone that the only way local jobs can be retained, and local businesses survive, is through local support. Acknowledging that the extraordinary financial climate we find ourselves in has impacted on businesses nationwide and locally, Ms Lynch also remarked: 'Navan will also soon be by-passed, which is considered to be a positive and progressive evolution for the town. However, along with the current economic climate, there is now an urgent need to implement a long-term strategy to ensure customers do come off the by-pass and into town to enjoy everything Navan has to offer.' The 'Shop Navan" reward programme invites retailers and business to become members of what could be best described as a 'collective". Membership of the programme provides a number of immediate and on-going benefits for businesses, including a 12-month low-cost, low-input professional marketing, advertising and PR service, to be provided by Geraldine Doherty of Flyonthewall Marketing Consultancy, who brought the initial concept to Navan Chamber. Ms Doherty, an experienced marketeer based at Bective, is passionate about the need to provide such support in a town that is also suffering because of its proximity to the border. 'No matter what business you are in, it is difficult for everyone to survive at the moment, especially if you"re independent. For our customers, a new caution has replaced what in more lucrative times was, for some, simply carefree spending. For our businesses, although there are great rates available, advertising and promotion has, for some, become prohibitive, not to mention the time it takes to get marketing and advertising strategies right. The resources required are not always available to business-owners and managers, many of whom are already actively involved in the day-to-day running of their business.' She said the strategy provides not only advertising, editorial and PR support to members to promote their offers, incentives and discounts, but it also gives them pre-negotiated discounted advertising rates with media partners, the Meath Chronicle, LMFM, FM104 and 98FM, all of whom have come on board. Jennifer Harte of Callan & Harte, described the initiative as 'a breath of fresh air' and said she was delighted the Chamber had been so proactive in developing a comprehensive and inclusive strategy which worked to support independent retailers 'at a time when they really need it'. Kerril Hickey, director of Specsavers Opticians & Hearing Centre, Navan, commented: 'Navan has always been a fantastic shopping town with one of the best selections of furniture and household stores in the country, combined with a great selection of shops, including boutique and grocery shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, to mention a few, making us an excellent shopping location. In a very competitive market, it"s important that all the retailers in Navan offer Navan customers great value for money offers collectively and the 'Shop Navan" card will ensure this.' The closing date for business membership to the programme has been set for 30th April. Kathryn Lynch added: 'We appreciate that this is pretty soon; however, we firmly believe that not only is this possible, but, more importantly, we need to act upon this initiative as soon as possible. If we can recruit sufficient members to the programme, we intend to have a public launch in the form of a street festival on 23rd May. We can"t afford to wait any longer, it"s time to get up and running now, it"s time to do our best to revitalise pride in who we are as citizens of Navan and take pride in what we have in Navan itself.' More information is available about membership of 'Shop Navan" on www.navanchamber.ie