We’ve all done it. We have bought abroad because something looked cheaper, but in the end it cost us much more than our money. Having a bad experience or returns issue abroad can be devastating, resulting in losing your money or expensive returns.
Even with this, Irish shoppers spend a whopping €7Billion abroad each year. Its is a trend we have to reverse.
This lost revenue has a direct effect on our communities and jobs in Ireland. Retail and distribution is a very large employer in Ireland. As eCommerce grows and becomes the channel of choice for Irish shoppers, where you buy is going to matter more and more.
Buying locally from Irish websites has great benefits. The choice is there. Local websites offer local knowledge, a personal service and in most cases someone real to talk with or call to if something goes wrong. By supporting local retailers and websites you ensure that jobs and high streets stay open and local shops and businesses remain as the heart of your community.
eCommerce directly and indirectly supports 25,000 jobs in Ireland. With your help we can double that over the next 10 years. Help us help our communities by thinking Irish first when you go to buy products and services online.
ClickIrish is a campaign to ask shoppers to consider buying from an Irish website when they purchase goods online. A campaign to promote the advantages to buying at home and a campaign to offer value and choice to Irish shoppers. There is an alternative to Amazon.
First we need to understand why shoppers buy from large sites like Amazon abroad and develop ways to offer an alternative to win that business back. Many shoppers don’t know where to look, so ClickIrish will give them a directory to search locally. Some shoppers go where the value is, so ClickIrish shops will offer them great value deals. A lot of shoppers will buy from a website aboard because its easy and convenient, so together we will show why buying in Ireland is better.
Irish eCommerce is under threat from large well financed global competition. Shoppers flock to them, not for price, but for choice, convenience, security and most of all customer experience. Irish eCommerce can compete with the added advantage of loyalty, local knowledge and service.
Any Trader selling physical or digital goods or services through a website or paywall and is headquartered in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland is eligible to join. All members must display the ClickIrish logo prominently on their site and social media and fill out their details for the ClickIrish shopping directory.
All members will be asked to engage by promoting initiatives directly to their mailing lists and on social media. Those who do will be highlighted by the campaign. Sponsorship will fund national media campaigns to raise awareness to the public.
Together we will contact government representatives to request firm action and support that adequately represent the losses to the Irish economy and exchequer.
The battleground for Irish eCommerce lies in customer experience. Bad practice hurts us all. 90% of shoppers are less likely to buy from you again after a bad returns experience. 90% of Amazon shoppers in Ireland buy there because they know they get a consistent service and customer experience.
As an industry we must come together to develop common best practices, functionality, standards and customer experience so the shopper knows what to expect when they see the ClickIrish logo.
Basic standards we can agree to implement may include (to be agreed by forum) :
- Phone Number on website
- Minimum 24hr customer service response
- Easy to Read Terms and Conditions
- Easy to Read Returns Policy
- Streamlined Returns
ClickIrish will negotiate with providers on your behalf. With strong numbers we can reduce costs, freeing finances to develop our services to consumers.
Our final goal is to offer shoppers in Ireland the very best customer experience imaginable and get them to think twice about purchasing goods and services abroad. The result will be a stronger eCommerce marketplace in Ireland, more profits, more jobs, protected communities and satisfied customers.
The eCommerce Association of Ireland is non-profit body set up ”to promote the use of eCommerce, best practice and standards for the betterment of business and consumer alike”. For more information please click here
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