Hello Green Friday! #BuyIrish #GreenFriday #ShopLocal

Green Friday is an initiative that aims to encourage consumers to buy Irish products on November 29, Black Friday. The campaign aims to get Irish people to think of the local economy and support local manufacturers and service providers by buying Irish goods.

The new initiative is led by Marian O’Gorman, CEO of retail group Kilkenny, and is backed by trade associations including the Design & Crafts Council of Ireland, Retail Excellence, Chambers Ireland. In addition, the Small Firms Association and retailers across the country have joined the campaign.

“Irish brands and designers are second to none, with many that are leaders on a world stage. We, as consumers, need to appreciate the fundamental fact that by keeping money in circulation in our own communities, we are protecting jobs and public services,” Ms O’Gorman said. 

To enable consumers to recognise the brands involved in the campaign, retailers will identify products with a Green Friday banner. This banner will be left visible throughout the Christmas campaign to encourage purchases of these products. According to a study by Retail Ireland, Irish consumers will spend up to €4.65 billion over the Christmas period.

Some of the brands have begun to advertise the movement on their social networks, identifying publications and tweets with hashtags such as #BuyIrish #GreenFriday or #ShopLocal

Irish pride is legendary

Black Friday is a tradition imported from the United States that practically every country in Europe uses to inaugurate the Christmas shopping period. Although its origin is related to the economic crisis suffered by the United States in 1866, the day is called Black Friday because it allows establishments to move from red numbers to black numbers, or in other words, from losses to profits, thanks to increased sales.

In contrast, Green Friday shows how Irish people support local brands and how important they are to them.  Irish pride is legendary and they themselves boast of being known as the ‘Celtic Tiger’ due to the incredible economic growth they have experienced over the last 20 years.

This pride also arises from past experiences. In the mid-nineteenth century, Ireland suffered a great famine that devastated the country and caused a wave of migration to North America and the rest of Europe. As a consequence, today they strongly appreciate all that they have achieved thanks to their effort and sacrifice.

At ISEA we have been promoting the expansion of trade and investment between Ireland and Spain for 30 years. We are aware of how much the country has prospered and we know it is a good choice for establishing a company headquarters. If you want to know more about how ISEA works, contact us!