Sheelin Conlon, founder of eco-aware lifestyle brand The Kind, has been named the winner of this year's €50,000 Champion Green Readymade Retail prize, in partnership with Aviva Life & Pensions.
Conlon was picked from 100 SME entries hoping to win the prize of a prime pop-up shop at the Blackrock Village Centre in south Dublin.
She founded The Kind as an online-only independent lifestyle brand in 2019, curating a range of sustainable, ethically-made products across wellness, self-care, living, homewares, books and gifts.
"I am beyond excited at this absolutely incredible opportunity to showcase and sell our range," said Conlon.
"We stock over 100 beautiful brands, from independent businesses and makers who share the same vision for a better, more sustainable future. And, we put style and substance into sustainable shopping for our many customers who like to make a positive impact on the planet.”
In Association with
The pop-up shop on the upper level of Blackrock Village Centre is worth €21,550, including rent and rates but exclusive of utilities, and is provided by Aviva free of charge on a six-month rental licence until March 2023.
Shopfitting advice and equipment, valued at €5,000, is supplied by fit-out specialists Roccul. The Kind also wins free parcel-sending for a year within Ireland, from An Post Commerce, to support online retailing, as well as a free direct-mail campaign, worth €10,000 combined.
Business consultancy from Bobby Kerr and complimentary membership of Retail Excellence, the Small Firms Association and Chambers Ireland are also included, along with store marketing and PR worth €15,000 and business planning and professional mentoring from the government-backed SME productivity scheme MentorsWork.
Congratulating the Readymade Retail winner, Carina Galavan, property fund specialist at Aviva Ireland, said; “We are proud to have supported Champion Green since it first launched in 2020, encouraging the growth of local businesses and start-ups.
“The opportunity for a brand or business to experience the potential of retail, risk-free, is unique, and we wish Sheelin and her team every success, as they bring their very original sustainable consumer range to Blackrock Village Centre.
“Sustainability is a fundamental part of Aviva’s strategy and integral to what we do as a business; The Kind shares this purpose and will be a great fit for the centre”.
The chairman of the judging panel was Duncan Graham, managing director of Retail Excellence, who reiterated the importance of supporting local businesses at a time of runaway inflation.
“Champion Green encourages the public to shop and to ‘click’ local, as well as seeking local service-providers first. This is now more important than ever," he said "We need businesses in local communities to provide jobs and local services, and to remain vibrant for future generations.”
Previous Readymade Retail winners include Irish design brand Jill & Gill and Ambr Eyewear. Champion Green was founded by Kilkenny Design chai Marian O'Gorman in 2020, backed by an initial €1m investment to promote consumer support for local business.
Photo: (l-r) Sean Cullinan, director of Roccul; Eveln Moynihan, CEO of Kilkenny Group; Duncan Graham; Carina Galavan; and Sheelin Conlon. (Pic: Julien Behal)
