|
Trade News Archive 2009 January February March April May
Subscribe to our newsletter Go to The Wholesaler UK Directory
15th May 2009
Rural retail initiative to help struggling traders in Northern Ireland
University of Ulster has launched a new research project to help struggling retailers in small rural communities survive the recession.
The educational institution has been given €320,000 (£285,000) of funding to conduct a study of the factors affecting traders in Northern Ireland's countryside.
Retail experts have claimed that the economic downturn and declining rural populations are making the long-term sustainability of many of the country's village stores seem untenable.
Now, the university intends to identify five retailers in rural areas to study over a three-year period, as part of the European Regional Development Fund's Retail in Rural Areas initiative.
Dr Karise Hutchinson, a business expert from the University of Ulster, said: "Local shops are more than just a business; they are part of a community in a rural area.
"A vibrant independent retail sector is paramount in order to preserve choice and colour across rural villages in Northern Ireland."
Last month, the Guardian suggested that shoppers from the Republic of Ireland continue to travel north, attracted across the border by the promise of lower retail prices.
(c) 2009
Comment on this news story
Trade News Archive 2008 December November October September August July June May April March February January
|
