Supporting Irish Musicians and Artists

XL Retail Group, in partnership with its independent retailers, has more than 230 stores supporting local communities all over Ireland and providing employment to almost 2,500 people locally.

It is a brand synonymous with Irish culture and heritage, particularly through its support of the Irish language. It is this grá, in particular for the Irish language, that has led to the permanent presence of Siopa XL in TG4’s Ros na Rún.

XL Retail Group passionately believes in supporting Irish. This manifests itself in how we do business and, indeed, who we do business with through our engagement with suppliers. Sourcing products locally is hugely important to us, as our XL Retailers pride themselves on supporting Irish suppliers in every way we can. Every year, through our parent company, leading retail and wholesale group BWG Foods, XL Retail Group provides a unique platform to Ireland’s indigenous suppliers – and emerging Irish businesses – to showcase their goods and offerings to a wide array of Retailers.

This is just one of many ways XL Retailers show their support for Irish culture, legacy and business and it is this commitment to the promotion of Irish culture and legacy that has led to XL’s support of Irish Music Month.

“When we heard about Irish Music Month, we immediately saw the fit,” Paul Bealin, Sales Director of XL Retail Group, said. “XL and our independent retailers are all about serving and supporting local communities – which is what is so attractive about Irish Music Month. It is brilliant to have 25 local radio stations showing their support for Irish music and Irish musicians – who are so important to local communities all over Ireland.

“Building on our pledge to offer ‘a great deal more at your local store’, we hope that the support of XL will help Irish Music Month to achieve its goal of lifting the spirits of Irish musicians, and of audiences throughout the country, as we all recover from the devastating impact of the pandemic.”

Irish Music Month photocall at The Academy, Dublin with John Purcell, (Independent Broadcasters of Ireland), Elaine McCann (Rubyworks), musician Saibh Skelly, Paul Bealin (XL Retail Group), Niall Stokes (Hot Press) and Jess Murray (Hot Press).

INDEPENDENT BUSINESSES

XL Retail Group is extremely proud of its uniquely Irish heritage. In 2018, in celebration of Bliain na Gaeilge, XL marked its commitment to the Irish culture by becoming the first symbol brand to display its in-store marketing materials in the Irish language, thus amplifying its commitment to our heritage and national language.

Along with XL’s award-winning sponsorship of TG4’s flagship soap opera Ros na Rún, supporting Irish Music Month cements a commitment to all things Irish, that extends to the Group’s wider business practices. Indeed, XL Retailers take great pride in choosing to work with local Irish suppliers when possible. As part of BWG Foods, the XL Retail Group is also able to leverage industry-leading expertise, knowledge and insight into what our customers want.

For example, the emergence of foodservice within our retail estate and our offering enables retailers to provide a diverse and appetising deli menu in environmentally friendly compostable packaging. It is through initiatives such as this that XL Retail Group and its Retailers continue to serve their customers’ needs.

Established in 1997, XL Retail Group’s commitment to the communities they serve has never been more pronounced than over the last 18 months as the nation, indeed the world, has wrestled with the effects and challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

XL Retailers are independent businesses, many of them family concerns, and they have been passionate, determined and courageous, and so have their teams, throughout. They are often the unsung heroes of these unprecedented times and their very presence has been a balm to their communities and customers.  Its apt tagline; “A great deal more at your local store” underpins the brand promise of serving local communities, delivering great value, choice, service and exciting consumer promotions.

XL Retail Group is proud to celebrate Irish artists and Irish music through its support of Irish Music Month.

For more information about Irish Music Month, listen to your favourite independent radio station, read Hot Press and stay tuned to hotpress.com