Introduction
With the acceleration of globalization, more and more Chinese sellers are beginning to look overseas for new business opportunities. Recently, Amazon announced that it will open its Irish site (Amazon.ie) to Chinese sellers in 2025, becoming the 10th European site to open to Chinese sellers. At the same time, TikTok Shop has also officially launched in Ireland, bringing a new shopping experience to Irish consumers. For cross-border e-commerce POD clothing sellers looking to enter the Irish market, this is an opportunity not to be missed.
New opportunities in the Irish market
1. Why choose Ireland?
As a highly developed capitalist country, Ireland's per capita GDP is as high as $100,000, ranking second in the world. The economy has experienced a remarkable recovery over the past decade, with GDP growth rates among the highest in the EU. In addition, Ireland has high Internet penetration and strong spending power, which makes it an extremely attractive market.
2. Potential of e-commerce market
Despite the relatively small size of the overall Irish market, its e-commerce market has shown a steady growth trend. According to the data, 70% of Irish people will shop via the Internet in 2021, and e-commerce sales will account for 19% of total retail sales. This means that the Irish market has great potential for development and is a potential entry point for cross-border sellers to enter the European market.
Irish market analysis
1. Economic development
- High GDP per capita: Ireland's GDP per capita is as high as $100,000, ranking second in the world.
- strong Economic growth: The Irish economy has experienced a remarkable recovery over the past decade, with GDP growth rates among the highest in the European Union.
2. Population and Internet
- Population profile: Ireland has a total population of about 5.04 million, with an average age of 38.2 years, a balanced gender ratio, and an urbanization rate of 70%.
- Internet penetration: Internet penetration reaches 99%, with 4.99 million Internet users and 70% of Irish people making purchases via the Internet in 2021.
3. Consumer habits
- Shopping preferences: For now, Irish people prefer to shop on UK e-commerce platforms, followed by Chinese and US e-commerce platforms.
- Payment method: Due to the fear of theft, credit card payment is not particularly popular in Ireland, cash on delivery is still one of the more popular payment methods.
4. Social media marketing
- Social media penetration: Social media penetration in Ireland reached 79.8%, with 4.02 million social media users.
- Common platforms: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and other platforms are widely used, and 65% of businesses use social media to increase brand awareness.
From the above analysis, we can know that Irish people have strong purchasing power and high Internet penetration rate. If we can optimize the payment method and provide cash on delivery, it may greatly accelerate our development in the Irish market. In addition, the extensive application of social media can also enable us to carry out marketing in the Irish market. Part of the social media resources will be used in the Irish market, and the resource utilization rate of forming social media accounts will be increased.
Ireland E-commerce Platform overview
Main e-commerce platform
-Amazon.co.uk: Amazon Group's e-commerce platform in the United Kingdom, with about 285 million active customer accounts.
-Tesco. ie: The online shopping platform of Tesco, a large Irish supermarket chain.
-Next.ie: The Irish website of British fashion brand Next, which sells high quality clothing, footwear, accessories and homeware.
-Woodies.ie: Professional home building materials and supplies retailer, providing one-stop home decoration solutions.
- Harvey Norman.ie: Sells electronic products, furniture, household goods, etc., and provides many well-known brand products.
-Jdsports.ie: The Irish site of well-known Sports fashion retailer JD Sports, bringing together internationally renowned sports brands.
- TikTok Shop: officially launched in Ireland in mid-December, providing users with a new shopping experience through live shopping and shoppable videos.
Category of popular products in Ireland
1. Fashion
- Waterproof outdoor clothing: Due to rainy weather, waterproof outdoor clothing is very practical and favored by consumers.
- Hats: Also because of the rainy weather, hats become a must-have item.
2. Furniture
- High quality furniture: Consumers pay attention to design, quality and comfort, high quality furniture market demand is greater.
3. Electronic products
- Smartphones: With the development of technology, the Irish people's demand for smartphones continues to grow.
- Computers and digital accessories: The demand for replacement of electronic products is also increasing.
4. Food
- Local specialties: such as Irish whiskey, Guinness Rye beer, soda bread, etc.
- Imported food: High-quality imported food is also popular.
5. Green theme products
- Clover souvenirs: Sales of green products and clover souvenirs increased significantly during St. Patrick's Day.
Characteristics of the Irish market
1. Market size and potential
- Small and fine market: Although the market size is relatively small, the economy is developed, the per capita consumption power is strong, and the e-commerce market is growing steadily.
2. Policies and regulations
- Common EU trade regulations: As a member of the EU, Ireland follows strict inspection and quarantine standards and tax policies.
- Import taxes: Goods imported from non-EU countries are subject to import taxes, and the tariff rate is the EU uniform rate.
3. Competitive environment
- Relatively low level of competition: Compared to some other large European countries, the Irish market is less competitive and there are opportunities for new entrants to gain market share.
4. Culture and consumption preference
- Emphasis on quality: Irish consumers have high expectations of product quality and practicality.
- Unique culture: Sellers need to have a deep understanding of local culture and consumer needs in order to better position and market their products.
Key factors for successful entry into the Irish market
1. Brand building
- Build brand image: Some Irish sellers pay attention to the building of brand image and brand value, by providing high-quality products and excellent customer service to build a good reputation.
2. Social media marketing
- Use social media: is good at using social media platforms for product promotion and brand marketing, and increase brand awareness by Posting engaging content and interaction.
3. Quality and service
- High requirements: Irish consumers have high expectations of product quality and shopping experience, and sellers need to strictly control product quality and provide excellent after-sales service.
4. Adapt to local market demand
- Localization strategy: can better adapt to the characteristics and needs of the Irish local market, such as supporting payment methods such as cash on delivery, and reasonable arrangement of logistics distribution.
Ireland E-commerce Festival overview
1. St. Patrick's Day
- Time: March 17 every year
- Meaning: In memory of St. Patrick, the Guardian of Ireland, has become a national holiday in Ireland and is widely celebrated around the world.
2. Easter
- Time: The first Sunday after the full moon of the spring equinox every year
- Activities: Church services, family gatherings, etc., giving each other gifts such as Easter eggs.
3. Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- When: Black Friday is the fourth Friday in November each year, and Cyber Monday is the first Monday immediately following Black Friday.
- Meaning: originated in the United States, an important e-commerce promotion festival, has become a global shopping carnival.
4. Christmas
- Time: December 25
- Activities: Family reunion, gift exchange, Christmas tree decoration and other celebrations, consumer demand is strong.
Festivals often bring consumer demand, for foreign countries, especially in Europe and the United States, they attach great importance to the more important festivals in the year, so the cross-border e-commerce industry will pay attention to the important festivals of various countries, Ireland is no exception, POD clothing industry partners want to get better sales in the Irish market, it is necessary to understand these festivals, To provide the corresponding service or product, perhaps, is the birth of a popular product.
Conclusion
Ireland, as a country with a developed economy and high Internet penetration, provides a broad market opportunity for Chinese cross-border e-commerce sellers. By gaining an in-depth understanding of the characteristics and consumer needs of the Irish market, we POD clothing sellers can develop effective marketing strategies in order to successfully enter this market with great potential. For now, there are opportunities to succeed in the Irish market, whether through Amazon Ireland or TikTok Shop, but do local business for the local market and hope this article will help you.
FAQ
Q1: When will Amazon open its Irish site to Chinese sellers?
A1: Amazon has announced that it will open its Irish site (Amazon.ie) to Chinese sellers in 2025.
Q2: When will TikTok Shop be launched in Ireland?
A2: TikTok Shop officially launched in Ireland in mid-December.
Q3: What are the payment habits of Irish consumers?
A3: Although credit card payments are not particularly popular in Ireland for fear that the card will be stolen from the transaction, cash on delivery is still one of the more popular methods of payment.
Q4: What are the main e-commerce platforms in the Irish market?
A4: Major e-commerce platforms include Amazon.co.uk, Tesco.ie, Next.ie, Woodies.ie, Harvey Norman.ie, Jdsports.ie and TikTok Shop.
Q5: What are the product types that Irish consumers prefer?
A5: The product types preferred by Irish consumers include fashion, furniture, electronics, food and green themed products.
