John Ellis

BY JOHN ELLIS

FINANCIAL ADVISOR

e cost of living in Ireland “isn’t a trend, it’s a crisis!”according to the all-Ireland research report recently published by e Foundation, a Belfast-based branding, design and digital marketing agency. e report was commissioned to examine the impact of the rising cost of living on shoppers’ behaviour and how this will impact on local food and drink brands. e report has revealed that 85% of consumers say the rising cost of living is impacting on how people shop. Of those surveyed 36% of shoppers expect to buy less local produce, while 57% are now purchasing products from clearance sections and 49% are buying bigger packs to save money. is could lead to the view that less available money will cause consumers to skimp on value, quality, and freshness. Not so, according to the results. Consumers continue to have a strong desire for “fresh products”.

Under half (46%) of respondents are still committed to buying the same levels of local food and drink products.

Reading between the lines producers need to be aware that the “open the doors, put in on the shelf and they will come” policy no longer works as it might once have had. Retailers are being encouraged to show strong reasons why the shopper should buy their products. e report gives an insight into how local food and drink producers are being advised how to interact with their customers; by building their brands in these changing times. If they follow through with the advice we, the consumer, in spite of the crisis, will continue to buy the high levels of food and drink products available.

Despite the price squeeze consumers continue to be committed to “doing their bit” for the environment and are aware of the impact of production and packaging of foods has on the environment. For example, they continue to ask how sustainable is the product they intend to purchase; is the packaging recyclable/ compostable and where is it sourced?

In addition to value, price and impact, shoppers “buy with their eyes”. How often have you chosen a piece of fruit, looked at it, put it back and chosen another that was more appealing.

Almost three quarters (72%) of respondents said being able to see the product through the packaging had in uenced them when purchasing and 62% said that ease of preparation had either “considerable” or “lots of in uence” on theirs purchases.

Consumers would like to see more of fruit and vegetables (56%), fresh meat and poultry (53%) and bakery (50%) in house, while outsourced pre-prepared products are way down the line. But there is still demand for local in-house prepared ready meals and ready to cook foods (29%), Preprepared fruit & veg (23%) and pre-prepared meat & poultry (22%).

Pricing is still important but the ability to communicate value is now more than ever an essential part of retailers’ marketing strategy. Up to 68% of shoppers say social media has some in uence, whereas 7% say a lot of in uence. Consumers value access to on-line recipe ideas, seeing how others cook and serve a product even entertaining content around food is popular.

Brendan Gallen, Strategy Director of e Foundation, explains: “Local producers have built a global reputation for the quality of their food and drink products, but with consumer spend being squeezed due to the eye-watering rise in energy prizes, it’s crucial that local brands communicate value as well as quality.” ere is a huge appetite for more local food and drink products but being the cheapest is not always the way to go. e challenge is value for money but must include convenience, sustainability, and sourcing.

Cost of living now, officially, a crisis

john@ellis nancial.ie 086 8362633

Tough love with Doc Grumpy

WELL, a little tale about doctors. You know, those sel ess fellas and gals who spend their lives slaving away in the interests of their ock {us, allegedly} - spending even more time worrying and panicking about our treasured health than would have the loving and caring J Stalin or A Hitler.

I was unfortunate enough to be blown sky-high by explosives over fty years ago. I had a wonderful eye doctor, and a great plastic surgeon. ese people delivered me back to life outside the Royal Perth Hospital in much better shape than I’d entered nearly a year before – being then blind and deaf and missing a fair amount of bodywork – never mind the paint.

Anyway, since then I’ve encountered my share of medical charlatans, quacks, and deceitful latchicoes’. Su ce it to say that on looking back over sixteen subsequent operations, I’d have to give the ‘knife-boys’ credit for being even more dangerous than dynamite.

However, that’s a story for another time. is present tale is about a lady doc, whose PR and diplomacy skills were amazingly conspicuous – by their total absence! Now, to how I met her, and what transpired.

As well as many dyn/doc in icted injuries, I was, a good while ago, informed I had COPD. at little acronym is a short way of saying ‘Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.’ A fair oul mouthful, that, bejay… Normally this malady attacks heavy smokers – I never smoked a pu . But I had TB as a child, and was cooped up in tanks, armoured cars and aircraft crash rescue vehicles for eight years, mostly in the Middle East. And in those days – the ‘50’s - the huge majority of military men smoked. Lots. At one shilling for twenty, they were practically encouraged to. So, on long stand-by shifts, I got all their recycled stu , second-hand - third and fourth too. Everybody’s breath was sucked in and blown out by everybody else; maybe a dozen – or a hundred times. Charming… en, last winter, I got a lousy dose of u. e sinuses also being ‘battledamaged’ – the Mr Flu had some dinky fun with my ageing {and fairly out-ofdate!} respiratory system. Lying in my ‘pit,’ I was getting through 150 sheets of kitchen towel a night. After three days, I crawled down to the computer, and tapped in ‘COPD’ and ‘ u.’ at little electronic nurse barked: “Avoid co n - go direct to a real-deal doc – u with COPD can stitch and stu u up in sad snu -it saga!” She frit me, did little electronic nursie.

Seanie C, a great friend, conveyed me to the lair of the only available late-night physician, Care-Doc. In I go. e Spartan waiting area was being superbly heated – up to the very highest Polar bear standard. Very soon a gru roared ‘come in’ – and I’m there: a ne, big woman. No small talk, just ‘siddown there, boy’ – indicating a hard- backed chair. e doc thunders round the corner of her desk at me - a bit like Keano in pursuit of Dunphy. “What’s wrong with ya? No sob stories, I say! I hope you’re not wasting my time?! Arya? D’ya know I have sick people waiting on me? – Well – what’s up with you, ay? Speak up!” Lucky enough I was used to such direct verbals from Army days – so I managed to get out my tale of woe – which I certainly didn’t exaggerate! “Have you been boozing it up lately, boy – don’t lie to me! – Been gobbling fat bacon – guzzling pills or drugs? No women I hope at your age?!! Has the cat got yer tongue? Anything else? Come on! Out with it!” All! Now!” Cripes, I got all the answers out, quick fast! en the storm subsided a bit; she sat down, calmed down a fraction, and produced a sheet of paper. “So, you’re immune to most antibiotics, aya?! Well, I’m going to name several – stop me when you hear one you haven’t been on! Don’t act the shy eejit, mind!” So, she started rattling them o , like a fast old steam train whacking through points and past level-crossing gates. After several names had ashed into my useless hearing aid – I copped one I’d never heard of - G*******N. “ at one” I gasp. “ at’s been out several years boy – ya must have tried that!” For my own safety I didn’t tell her I’d given up on quacks after about thirty years. She growled and showed her teeth a few times. “Anything else wrong with ya?” she suddenly roared. I told her of a horrible long-term problem – a legacy of a botched op in a Military hospital in Heidelburg – a rotten smell and taste in my mouth all the time, night and day. “What kind of taste, ay, boy?” “Well, doctor, rather like cat’s excrement, sort of,” I told her, lamely enough. “Christ – and how would you recognise the taste of cat’s sh*tes?” she demanded – but for the rst time there was a hint of a grin on those fearsome chops… And I suddenly realised that in spite of her yelling – she’d listened intently to every single thing I’d said.

“Right, trousers down, lie on your face” she snapped, and gave me a shot of the old needle in the bum. en a prescription for the medicine, and an abrupt “on yer way, now, lad.”

But when I was going out the door, she caught my arm and pulled me back; “Here’s my mobile number - call me anytime you’re in trouble, Egan – day or night. Do it! Good luck.” e u cleared up in a day. And the ‘cat’s s*** taste and smell was gone a few days later – and hasn’t returned. For the rst time in many years I’m free of the dreaded stink.

I think of Ms Doc Grumpy with great a ection. She reminded me of the man who got my sight back, all those years ago, Dr R Linton. He didn’t take prisoners either.

It’s nice to think that amongst all the greedy pretentious medical frauds extant, there’s always the odd gem.

I haven’t been back to thank Ms Grumpy. She’d tear my head o for wasting her time!

But if the ‘cat’s malackie’ lth ever comes back to render my nights horrible, I’ll run to her.

And get out my thanks!! If allowed… Ned E

DISCLAIMER

e opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily re ect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of e Kilkenny Observer.