CHRISTMAS TRADE in Letterkenny saw a slow start to December, but the month ended on a high note, despite the challenges facing both retailers and consumers.
Jimmy Stafford, President of the Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce, was on the ground this week meeting with local businesses to gather feedback following what is typically the busiest time of year for retailers.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Mr Stafford said business owners spoke of how the early part of December was slower than usual, but the final week saw a strong uptake in footfall and spend.
The Chamber President acknowledged the impact of the ongoing cost of living challenges, which have led to lower general spending in some cases.
He compared this year’s trade to last year when the government introduced additional incentives to combat the cost of living, such as household energy credits.
“That additional money isn’t there this year, so maybe the average spend might be down, but there was good footfall,” he said
Local retailers reported how shoppers are also now spreading their spending over a longer period, with some even starting as early as October.
“Christmas nearly starts in October, and people are spreading their spend out over the couple of months or starting earlier,” Mr Stafford explained.
He added that the upturn in trade towards the end of the month can be attributed to a combination of factors.
One key reason was the dry and mild weather. Additionally, the deployment of garda motorbikes and extra resources to manage traffic congestion helped improve the overall shopping experience.
“This was a huge help and helped the traffic flow,” Mr Stafford said.
“If you look at those last seven days, the garda motorbikes were at key junctions to try and alleviate the traffic, and it certainly helped.”
Mr Stafford also highlighted that Letterkenny has positioned itself as one of the largest shopping towns in the north west, which further explains the influx of shoppers, including those travelling from the North.
However, the Chamber President said that it is still early to make a definitive judgment on the season’s trade performance.
“We won’t have a true indication until the middle or end of January,” he said.
The Letterkenny Chamber of Commerce themselves celebrated a major milestone at the end of December as their Shop LK campaign hit the €9 million mark.
Mr Stafford described this achievement as a significant boost for the local economy.
“That spend will carry over into the New Year as well,” he explained.
“Many people received Shop LK vouchers from their employers or as Christmas presents, so you’ll see that spending continue to flow into the local economy through January and February.”
The Shop LK initiative now includes over 220 retailers, ranging from smaller businesses to larger stores, offering a wide variety of options for those spending their vouchers. Customers also have the convenience of using either a physical or digital Shop LK card, which makes it easy to tap and use at participating locations.
Looking ahead to the New Year, Mr Stafford emphasised that the Chamber will continue to advocate for local businesses and encourage people to shop locally.
“From a business perspective, we will keep lobbying for improvements in things like infrastructure,” he added.
He also highlighted some exciting projects set to begin in 2026 across Letterkenny.
“We’ll see the start of the Market Square development, the new library at ATU is already underway and the Old Courthouse is scheduled to be revamped.”
