Meath Herald Newspaper article; Celebrate Navan this Christmas, Winter 2019
Local Christmas Shopping on a budget:
It’s coming up to that time of year again! The Christmas Parade, switching on the Christmas lights, Santa’s arrival and the live crib arriving the week before Christmas These are all great events in Navan for the run up to Christmas.
Immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere by doing your Christmas shopping in Navan. Meeting that friend that you haven’t seen all year, bumping into old friends that you haven’t see in 20 odd years, meeting up for a coffee, mince pie or a hot chocolate and a long overdue catch up! The sense of community of shopping local, a time for coming together and catching up with old friends , is what Christmas is all about.
Navan has blossomed over the past couple of years with the addition of many new coffee shops, cafes and restaurants serving a modern range of cuisines, all conveniently located to provide the perfect base for the ideal shopping experience and the addition of the pedestrianised Kennedy Way make the experience more relaxed and family friendly.
With the parking incentives that will be available at the End of November up to Christmas Eve, allows you to spend longer in the town (pay for 1hour get next hour free.)
Christmas Shopping:
It’s also the time when the shopping centre car parks are full to the brim, people everywhere. Time is of the essence, especially when you are shopping with kids. It can be a difficult venture!! The hassle and time wasted sitting in Dublin traffic can be avoided. You’d be surprised to find that most of the items you have on your list, can be found locally. Navan has a wide range of shops, from big brand stores to smaller independent businesses.
If you’re planning a big shopping trip ahead of the Christmas season, then you’ll want to minimise the pain of getting there, getting parked and getting home again, shopping local avoids all this hassle.
But also, Christmas is a financially difficult and stressful time of year. I have a social media page called ‘Mother of all Deals’ I have helped a lot of parents and families by posting up offers and bargains that are local. I am delighted that the page has helped so many. I like to show that it is convenient to call into Navan to pick up the offers. I’ve supported local businesses for years, as I have grown up in Navan. I shop in all our local stores, I know a lot of the shop owners and its nice to be welcomed through the doors by name.
Unfortunately, here is a sense of uncertainty ahead for Irish retailers as a result of Brexit. We should encourage people to shop locally and to Buy Irish.
I have even noticed a big uncertainty with retailers, through their sales this year. A lot of sales that happened last year have not yet happened this year and the percentage of discount is not as good (in some stores).
My top tips for looking out for offers and bargains.
Why pay full price?
Looking out for an offer or bargain, means you need to be a little bit more organized and planned for the coming year. Waiting and patience is a huge factor to searching out offers! Mostly the big clearance sales, are out of season and I would advise to pick up products for the following year. Discount codes are available every couple of weeks all year round. I would advise to wait until then, to pick them up using the discount code. Some discount codes can also be used in stores. Use your coupons, but also keep an eye on the expiry dates! Tips like waiting until the end of the day to get the food in, using store cards to get discounts and money off vouchers in the mailings, are all little things that can help you save money.
Just before Christmas the big sale event will be Black Friday, which will be at the end of November. This is when I will pick up most of my Christmas shopping. A lot of our local stores will take part in Black Friday also. Every year I have found great Black Friday offers in our local shops.
The only (very slight) downside of the bargain hunting is buying out of season and storage space! My attic is full of items that I’ve picked up on clearance sales to use for unexpected birthdays, new arrivals, Christenings etc, and of course Christmas gifts!! Most importantly, buy within your budget and to remember what you have stored away so you’re not double buying!!
As the holiday season quickly approaches and you start running around town buying gifts, think about the small businesses first. While the large stores will be doing Black Friday offers, the smaller local store will also be doing similar and even better offers.
Consider the local market too on a Friday, eat at the local restaurants and cafes, explore the places that make our town unique!
I’m proud of my dedication and the time I’ve spent in helping others grab a bargain and through the page and the blog, I’ve found like minded people who love to save and a find a bargain.
Enjoy the run up to Christmas and shopping locally. It is a lovely time of year, for coming together and meeting up, sharing gifts and of course the buzz of shopping!