HARD pressed retailers in Letterkenny are hoping a bold bid to woo shoppers from across the border will pay off over the coming months.

 

Many independent retailers in the town will be offering a favourable exchange rate of £1 to €1.25 to boost sterling trade.

 

With many shops doing summer sales of up to thirty per cent local businesses are hoping the attractive exchange rate will give trade a shot in the arm.

 

Mr Patrick McGinley is a local businessmen and feels the initiative will make Letterkenny more attractive to customers.

 

“Within a 35-mile radius of Letterkenny there is a population of over 250,000 if you include Derry and Limavady. It is about tapping into that potential. It is very attractive when you combine a sale and the strong exchange rate,” he said.

 

“Traders in the town done something similar in 1992-93 and it worked out very well. We need to do all we can to get shoppers to spend their hard earned cash in town,” he added.

 

One local firm-Gilory Tiles, has gone a step further and is offering €1.29 for £1sterling.

 

The exchange rate campaign will last well into the summer. The retail promotion campaign for the full year is €50,000. This includes print, radio, UTV, street activities, hotel promotions, and new website as well as a lot of work in digital marketing/social media.