Shopping by mobile

Independent retail group Menarys says a mobile shopping boom has helped pull in 70,000 visitors per month to its online store. Menarys.com went live in 2010 and has attracted orders for fashion, accessories, homeware and giftware from 19 countries including Germany, Spain, New Zealand and France. The performance of the local retailer reflects forecasts from a recent study published by the Centre for Retail Research that anticipates shopping on mobile devices in the UK will rise by 53% to £4.5bn in the next 12 months. Menarys Group e-commerce manager Marisa Maguire said the online shop has also seen a notable shift in the typical customer profile. "Mobile shopping has grown so quickly because it's a convenient and easy way for shoppers to find the best products at the most affordable prices," she said. "There has been a significant increase in people browsing the Menarys site for leading fashion brands, accessories, gifts, cookware and beauty products through tablet computers and smartphones. "Having an online presence is a very important part of our strategy to ensure we are meeting our customers' needs." Established in 1923, Menarys sells lingerie and fashion, accessories, handbags, cookshop, home and hosts concession partners throughout Northern Ireland. Menarys is headquartered in Moygashel, Co Tyrone, with outlets in Bangor, Coleraine, Cookstown, Dungannon, Junction One in Antrim, Larne, Limavady, Lisburn, two in Newry, Newtownards, Portadown, Craigavon, and Strabane. In the Republic there are branches in Carrick-on-Shannon, Clonmel, Letterkenny, Dublin and Offaly. Menarys was originally established in Co Tyrone in 1923 as Joseph Alexander Ltd, and has since become a favourite local department store chain, which was rebranded as Menarys in the 1980s. It employs over 500 Menarys staff and 1,000 concession staff.