Broadcaster and personal finance advisor Eoin McGee has urged consumers to shop consciously and realise the value in shopping locally after being announced as an ambassador for the Champion Green campaign.

McGee said that €1 spent with a local business contributes approximately €2.50 to €4 to the economy and public services, whereas spending it with an overseas business with no Irish staff would mean no return for the local economy.

"The multiplier effect means €1 spent in a local business gets recycled back to suppliers and staff wages.  They then continue to spend it here, in the Irish economy, and to pay their taxes, and so on," McGee said.

"If we don’t support each other, and if we don’t support local business, the foundations of our economy and society are undermined.  We need an Ireland that can sustain itself, and backing Irish businesses is a keystone to that sustainability."

Champion Green, a partnership between trade bodies and businesses established in 2020 to support local SMEs, has reiterated its call for consumers to "go green" this summer by spending on eating out, leisure and family treats.

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McGee said that some 2m people in Ireland are better off financially as a result of Covid, stating: "Wages stayed the same and expenses fell through the floor, with no commute, meals or trips abroad, and limited access to shops. 

“I am a financial planner, but I am not all about keeping money in our pockets; never spending! Within reason, we should spend our money, and spend it on ourselves.

"And this means in our own businesses, in local businesses for the benefit of both ourselves and the economy, because, essentially, why export Ireland’s hard-earned wealth?”

Marian O'Gorman, founder of Champion Green and chairperson of Kilkenny Design, welcomed McGee's support and said supply issues and inflation had made the period after Covid restrictions were lifted tough for local businesses.

"Most of us rely on a local shop or restaurant or services. They’re handy and they look after us.  But, they also create vibrant communities, and they represent hundreds of other Irish suppliers and manufacturers," she said. "That is the message we need to grasp when deciding who should benefit from our consumer spend."

Champion Green will roll out a new consumer advertising campaign as well as small business workshops, money-saving advice for consumers, and a "Green Friday" campaign in November to support its mission in 2022.

The initiative is backed by a €1m investment to drive consumer support for local enterprise and to help SMEs adapt, and its range of supports, including a toolkit, how-to webinars and promotional opportunities are detailed here.

Champion Green is supported by Kilkenny Design and Visa, in association with Retail Excellence, the Small Firms Association, and Chambers of Commerce Ireland.

Photo: Mary Keane, general manager of Kilkenny Design, with Eoin McGee. (Pic: Julien Behal)