Cork business owners say boom times are back this Christmas with gifts up to €14k being sold

CORK Christmas boom times are back according to local businesses, with gifts to the tune of up to €14,000 flying off the shelves this festive period.

Despite Ireland’s cost-of-living crisis, coupled with the most severe housing crisis the State has ever seen, luxury products aren’t off the cards for every big spender this Christmas.

Tim Keane from Michel Jewellers is among the business owners benefitting from the spending bonanza fuelling the local economy.

He spoke of how the profile of luxury shoppers has changed considerably over the years making them more difficult to identify than in recent years.

“You have a huge variety of customers now,” he said. “The days of thinking that the guy in the three-piece suit has the money are well and truly gone. The unshaven guy wearing a ragged looking pair of jeans with tears in them and dirty shoes likely has the most money in his pocket. This is because he has probably come from working non-stop. He has money in his pocket and wants to buy the person he loves a present.” Some of his more popular gifts include a chain from the Marchetti brand priced at €4,000. He spoke of how the clasp of the chain alone is worth €1,000.

Other upmarket gifts include dress rings to the value of €14,000.

Pearls prices at thousands of euro are also proving popular as Christmas gifts including the Akoya pearl originating from the Akoya oyster which rarely produces more than two pearls per harvest.

Tim said: “People often say they would rather one decent piece than buy four or five things. I always say that nice decent things last longer.” 

WHISKEY

Meanwhile, Danielle Scully from Irish Distillers said its most limited edition Silent Distillery Collection sold out in recent months, despite retailing at €35,000 upwards.

“The Silent Distillery Collection is a collection of six releases,” Danielle explained. 

“There will be one release annually from 2020 until 2025, ranging in age from 45 to 50 years old, all from the legendary old Midleton Distillery. The distillery operated between 1825 and1975 before the modern distillery came into operation. These are exceptionally limited, rare, and coveted releases which retail at €35,000 upwards.”