Local Business Spotlight: Suzsa Boutique & Su-man Menswear, Fermoy

In this week's Local Business Spotlight, we spoke to Suzanne O' Donoghue, owner of the fabulous Suzsa Boutique and Su-man Menswear. Suzanne's passion for fashion and eye for business has made her stores successful in Fermoy. Read on to learn more about her team and their story...

1. What inspired you to open your first boutique in Fermoy back in 2014?

We opened our Fermoy boutique two years after opening our Mitchelstown shop, due to the demand for the brands we stock and for our size ranges. There was more and more footfall from surrounding towns visiting our Mitchelstown shop, therefore we made the decision to open in Fermoy. We live between both towns and it is easier to manage stores when they are within a reasonable distance of each other. We are both highly passionate about our work, which is a key factor for any business to be successful.

2. Over the years, your business has grown to include 3 boutiques and a menswear store. What prompted you to expand your brand?

We have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to open our menswear Su-man initially in Mitchelstown, but then we made the decision to move the store to bigger premises in Fermoy. Following on from this we set-up our online shop which is very much a must in the current climate. In October of 2020, we expanded our Suzsa stores to include a dedicated shoes and accessories store.

3. How important is it for you to have an online presence in addition to your town outlets?

Having our online shop is more important than ever now given the current Covid climate, also because the current generation and future generations are all about convenience...so it’s very important to doing business.

4. In your opinion, what is the key to building a successful local business?

There are a number of key factors to our success such as; our customers who have been very supportive since we opened, our staff – we have a fantastic team who are always willing to help, our brands – which are reasonably priced, with a wide variety of choice and sizes and also our drive, passion, dedication and hard work, make up the factors to our success.  

5. How has Covid-19 affected your business overall?

Covid-19 has impacted our business greatly, many of our customers like the personal touch we offer in our stores and our advice on products. While online is a fantastic platform to showcase our products, there is nothing better than being able to try on & touch the products.

6. In better times, what’s your favourite local spot to have a bite, grab a pint, or just sit and watch the world go by?

Fermoy is very fortunate to have a wide variety of restaurants, bars & deli's available in the town, which makes every lunchtime different. Another great advantage in the town is the fabulous park which is fantastic to spend your lunch hour on a fine day….

7. What are you most looking forward to doing after the pandemic?

We are looking forward to opening our doors and welcoming our customers back.