€10,000 Worth of Xplore Fermoy Vouchers Processed in First Month

The Xplore Local Voucher initiative has gone from strength to strength after enjoying a fantastic reception in the charming Cork town of Fermoy last month.

The Xplore Fermoy Voucher launched before Christmas, as businesses were reopening their doors after the 2nd lockdown. Sales of the voucher saw €10,000 circulate in the local economy over the last few weeks. Vouchers were purchased by locals using the Xplore Fermoy App and Fermoy.ie, with many reported to have gifted them to employees, family, and friends.

So far, 16 businesses from a variety of trades and industries in Fermoy have signed up, with more expected to be added in the coming weeks.

Commenting on the news, chairperson of Fermoy Forum Michael Lyons said “I am delighted to learn that €10,000 worth of Xplore Fermoy Vouchers have been purchased. In simple terms, this is €10,000 that can only be spent in the local economy and is a direct benefit to Fermoy.

“Thank you to all those who have purchased the digital vouchers. As this is a first for Fermoy (and the first of its kind anywhere), it has been a steep learning curve for Fermoy Forum who collaborated with Colin Hanley of Booniverse (app developers) and Declan Clancy of ePresence (marketing experts) to deliver on our commitment to support local businesses.”

The project has been backed by Cork County Council under project ACT along with the forum’s long term partner McCarthy Insurance Group.

Speaking on what’s to come, Mr Lyons said “The next phase will see Fermoy Forum actively encouraging the digital vouchers to be redeemed. When restrictions are lifted there will be a big drive to support local business and we hope the value of vouchers will give local traders a boost. If you want your business to be able to receive Xplore Fermoy Vouchers, why not join Fermoy Forum and we will help you get set up.”

Xplore Local Vouchers is a digital initiative developed using state-of-the-art, secure and consumer-driven technology. Its aim is to support local economies by offering a paperless, user-oriented solution to challenges faced by local businesses and shoppers. Customers data is stored on AWS (the same tech stack that powers amazon.com), meaning that Xplore Local benefits from Amazon's expertise and security. We also never store your payment information, our payment processor Stripe does. This means that your information is completely secure and we follow the SCA (Strong Consumer Authentication) as mandated by the EU.

Vouchers are available in any amount from €20 to €500, and you can send them directly from the website or app via email. To find out what businesses are accepting them, look out for the Xplore Fermoy Voucher sticker in shop windows around town or log in to your Xplore Local account. If you don’t already have an account, you can set one up by visiting the website or by downloading the Xplore Local App from the App or Google store.

Plans are in place to launch the voucher initiative in Clonakilty, Tralee, Killarney, Bagenalstown, Portumna and Gort over the next few months. Business owners who wish to sign up should register their interest with their local forum or chamber of commerce. Xplore Local will work in conjunction with these organisations to get your business voucher-ready.