Embracing the shop local ethos is one of pertinent importance these times as community businesses strive for the support of the public amid the continuing imposition of restrictions which have detrimentally impacted upon trade as the pandemic persists.
Endeavouring to promote shop local awareness through their social media channels, Athlone native, Ciara McCarth and close friend, Galwegian, Kim Burke, continue to attract a wealth of followers to their Instagram page ‘twophatcows’.
Boasting in excess of 16,000 followers, the page affords prime product promotion to local businesses and as the days elapse towards Christmas it is the apt go to social media page for those who wish to ‘buy and support local’ this festive season.
A friendship which started in 2016 has now evolved into a passion which strives to promote the essence of the shop local experience.
Speaking to the Athlone Advertiser, Ciara noted how twophatcows originated and the content entailed which has given swift rise to the popularity of the social media page.
“Kim and I initially met in 2016 and we formed an immediate friendship. As the friendship flourished and road trips littered with visits to some spectacular locations became a regular occurrence, the thought originated to share our experiences so on a whim, we decided to establish twophatcows.
“We both have a great love of food, fashion, beauty and travel and love to share this with our herd. Our page has grown organically this past few years and we really think that the success of the page is due to it being a positive space where we are always ourselves.
“We are honest and always have a ‘no bull’ attitude when it comes to what we post and speak about. We definitely feel that there should be more content of this ilk on social media channels,” Ciara said.
Ciara is of the view that there are numerous misconceptions with regard to blogging, stating that the twophatcows page necessitates continuous work as the duo aim to maintain and sustain an online presence
“There can be a very negative view with the term ‘blogger’. The public assume that if you are a ‘blogger’ that you are only in it for the ‘freebies’, and that is certainly not the case with us.
“Of course, we are delighted when a company approaches us and wants to send us their product for promotional purposes. However, we don’t approach businesses for our page. We maintain a twophatcows social media presence because it is a passion.
“There are so many misconceptions, that it is easy, pays well and that you are given free products from those who wish to use your page.
“The truth is that a lot of hard work goes into twophatcows and you don’t get paid well, if at all! It can be difficult to marry the page with your day jobs and when life gets in the way, but we have always taken the attitude that is our page, and we are not answerable to anyone but ourselves.
“In the current Covid-19 environment we strive to have a positive and upbeat message on our page. We want twophatcows to be a place where you can come for escapism and some humour. The brands with whom we are working have adapted and in this regard we host Zoom product launches and live shop local discussions on our page and will hopefully continue to do so. We do believe that Covid-19 and the restrictions entailed has encouraged local businesses to adapt and rethink their content,” Ciara continued.
Despite the easing of Covid-19 restrictions this week, Ciara is of the firm belief that there will remain continuous support for business within the local community as they seek to maintain economic viability in such surreal times.
“Covid-19 has had such a detrimental effect on local businesses. Many have had to rethink how they do business. We noticed that many local businesses started a ‘click and collect’ service for encouraging customers to still support them. It definitely is not easy, but businesses are doing their utmost to adapt and survive.
“We think that there’s a new invested interest to support the small local businesses in their areas. There is an understanding that these businesses need our custom in order to survive. The bigger chain stores that have come in to our country will weather this storm, but it is the small, local, independent businesses and the families behind these industries that need support most.
“It is so important for businesses to get the support of locals to survive. We love supporting local and Irish because you can have a relationship with the people behind the business, you receive optimum customer service and if there’s an issue, you have someone to call.
“These businesses employ local people, they support our schools with sponsorship and spot prizes and they sponsor our local teams and clubs. Now it’s our turn to give them a little support back.
“There has definitely been a slight shift towards shopping more sustainably. Part of shopping sustainably is shopping locally as much as possible. This means your money goes to local and Irish farms and businesses and that supports the local economy leading to a boost in employment.
“There is no shame in buying from big retail chains. We all do it, but it is all about balance. I think it is important to seek out where you can buy certain things in your locality, rather than spending your money with the big retail companies,” Ciara asserted.
