Kilkenny Company Puts Irish Crafts On U.S. Christmas Menu

    BOSTON, MA, December 03, 2016 /24-7PressRelease/ -- A Kilkenny based, family owned, company could be changing the way Irish American customers think about Christmas shopping.

When Ken Byrne and his wife Karen started The Irish Gift Market ( www.theirishgiftmarket.com ) 3 years ago, it was with a vision of promoting luxury handcrafted products across the Atlantic and broaden the base for what was then a pretty stagnant cottage industry. While the skills and craftsmanship on the production side were readily available in the Emerald Isle, the ability for these small producers to reach wider markets was severely limited. While most had an online presence, their ability to promote and reach wider markets and meet customers expectations on the delivery side left many lacking, leaving the business as a seasonal tourist trade that dimmed it's lights for the winter months. But all that could be changing.

Michael Roche of Kiltrea Pottery, selling his own unique brand of fine handcrafted distinctive pottery from his factory shop in county Wexford put it best "the summer time has always being our biggest retail period and the winter months are our creative period to work on new ideas for the coming year." This may now be changing due to the efforts of The Irish Gift Market. One of the unique products that Kiltrea produces exclusively for The Irish Gift Market's U.S. customers 'The Culchie Mug" has become one of its most popular products on the other side of the Atlantic and not only that, but with Christmas sales outperforming summer sales by a factor of 10 to 1 the market may be doing a little bit of a reversal..

While giving uniquely Irish gifts as Christmas presents may never have being a staple of Yuletide purchases, Mr Byrne believes that that may have being due to lack of availability rather than lack of desire. Ireland being a cold country resulting in the production of mainly warm, comforting products to ward off the winter blues may suit a Christmas market perfectly. Who wouldn't want to snuggle down with a pure lambs wool blanket or eat that plump turkey off a handcrafted Kiltrea platter in sub zero Boston or New York temperatures? Not to mention having a cup of steaming hot tea Christmas morning from the famous Culchie mug.

This year to further promote his brand and reach a broader audience Mr Byrne has came to a marketing agreement with Irish Central, ( www.irishcentral.com ) an information and opinion portal regarding all things Irish with an audience of over 300,000 per month. "It was a natural alliance," said Mr Byrne, ''they bring the news and we bring the gifts."

The Irish Gift Market is no ordinary on-line retailer. In addition to priding itself on it's unique product range and world class free 48 hour delivery service, Mr Byrne and his team are currently in the final phase of developing the software and hardware for a bricks and mortar concession style roll out in major Irish tourist areas, hotels and airports to facilitate their new "buy and fly concept". This will allow U.S. visitors to side step baggage restrictions and most importantly purchase pottery and other fragile products with the security of knowing they will be delivered intact to their door anywhere in the U.S. and be waiting for them on their return home. Exciting times certainly seem to be ahead for the luxury Irish crafts industry , US. customers and the Irish Gift Market or as Karen, Ken's wife and partner puts it, "2017 will be the year that The Irish Gift Market changes the market."

www.theirishgiftmarket.com
Luxury Irish Gifts delivered Free in 48 Hours, pottery, hand blown glass, 100% pure wool products and more.
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