Grocery retail group BWG Foods is today hosting what it says is Ireland's largest retail trade event at the CityWest Hotel in Dublin. Over 150 Irish and international suppliers will be there to showcase their products to retailers from the BWG group which represents over 1,000 shops in Ireland under the Spar, Eurospar, Mace, Londis and XL Retail brands.
Among them will be Cliona Hegarty founder of the start-up Boost Bites. Ms Hegarty says that Boost Bites are healthy energy boosting snacks which are made from wholefood ingredients. They are gluten and dairy free and are also raw. Describing today's event as an incredible opportunity for any start-up, she said that it is a chance to be side by side with multinational suppliers. Mr Hegarty said that she will be meeting over 1,000 store managers across the BWG group, creating new relationships and bringing her snacks across the country.
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MORNING BRIEFS - Professional services firm EY, formerly Ernst and Young, expects to hire 270 new staff over the next 12 months as it opens a second office in Dublin and re-opens in Galway. It will also take on 50 new graduates in September. The jobs will be across a range of disciplines and, according to EY Ireland's managing partner Mike McKerr, reflect stronger demand for its services right across the country.
He also said that salaries for experienced hires will be in excess of €50,000 a year reflecting strong demand for talent.
*** Households are still more likely to pay down debt and save than to borrow according to the latest monthly statistics from the Central Bank. Lending to households fell 3.5% in April compared to the same month last year. The value of outstanding mortgage loans, which represent over 80% of household debt, fell by €176m in April. Over the past 12 months households have repayed €1.8 billion more than was advanced in new loans.
*** Sterling fell around 1% against the euro as two opinion polls published yesterday showed leads for the leave side over the remain side ahead of the UK referendum on EU membership later this month. The pound had rallied strongly against the single currency since April when it was touching 81 pence to the euro. Before publication of the opinion polls yesterday by ICM - one conducted online and the second a telephone poll - it was steady at just below 76 pence but is now heading for 77. Currency traders had previously bet heavily on a remain vote.
