NO matter how buoyant our economy, this country will never offer a big enough market for any ambitious manufacturer. Ireland's population curtails expansion no matter how good the product, it can only achieve restricted sales here. Just across the Irish Sea, however, are another 60 million potential customers. Even without the attraction of a shared language, therefore, Britain would look like an irresistible market.
This week sees two of the biggest British trade clothing fairs, long established Premier in Birmingham and the new Pure in London. Both will see a healthy representation of Irish companies selling into the UK market Some, like Henry White which has been selling to British outlets for almost 50 years, have a well established client base. Others such as Lisa Lovell, are relatively new arrivals, but gaining such impressive results that it seems unfortunate they didn't enter the market sooner.
In the past two years Lisa Lovell, according to the company's Denis Charlton, has seen the British export market grow from six to 20 per cent of total sales. Britain represents 40 per cent of Henry White's business, while for both the Michel Ambers and Michael H labels, our nearest neighbour now accounts for 30 per cent of their respective sales - about double what it was for them just a few years ago.
Britain is clearly essential to the well being of Irish clothing manufacturers and offers by far the biggest opportunities for overseas sales. The Irish Trade Board estimates that around 52 per cent of all clothing exported from this country goes to Britain, with total sales there of £162,591,000 in 1995. Between 1990 and 1995, exports in this area to Britain increased by 20 per cent, as compared with an average 15 per cent in total exports. The possibilities look endless. As Bernard White of Henry White says, "how could you ever maximise the potential of 60 million people?"
Like most other Irish clothing manufacturers, Henry White sells mainly to independent British retailers whose taste, and that of their customers, differs little from that of their equivalents in this country - another bonus when it comes to achieving strong sales. With three to four thousand accounts in Britain, Bernie Connell of Michael H says that the domestic market and that across the Irish Sea are very similar, "although things which sell in London wouldn't necessarily do well in the Midlands."
As a relative newcomer, Lisa Lovell has until now concentrated on Scotland and the North of England but, says Denis Charlton, the company has just appointed a new representative for the south of England. Many Irish companies are capitalising on the weakness of German manufacturers, until now the strongest players in the business but now suffering from an inability to reflect changes in taste during the 1990s. Ireland's clothing industry went through such a traumatic time in the previous decade that any companies which survived learnt to be flexible and responsive.
"We're selling on the basis that we can respond very quickly," confirms Denis Charlton. "We can have something in England overnight. It's only a little bit of water between us." "We have our own production," suggests Bernie Connell, when asked what merits Michael H has over its rivals from other countries. "That means we can guarantee the finished garment, which is a big advantage."
While there may be plenty of goodwill towards this country, manufacturers do not try to sell a specifically Irish look. "We've tried to develop a European fashion image rather than an Irish one," says Peter Catterson of Michel Ambers, which will be taking colour advertising in Hello! and Marie Claire this season after doing the same in Vogue last autumn.
The company now has some 250 customers in Britain, mainly privately owned shops but also some small department store chains such as Fenwicks, which also carries the Michael H label. "It's not a problem being a player in England once you've got the right product," insists Catterson. Like Denise Charlton, he explains that just as important is the ability to deliver throughout the season and have a sufficient number of inter related but different "stories" within the collection.
The biggest difficulty for an Irish company entering the English market is the unresolvable problem of currency fluctuation. After a period of relative stability, last autumn the difference between sterling and the Irish pound began to vary again, bringing problems for manufacturers trying to set prices for a six month season and budget accordingly.
ANOTHER problem according to Bernard White, is the high cost of transportation across the Irish Sea - "it's outrageous", he insists.
Denis Charlton also believes it is important to be confident of the credit status of customers outside the domestic market. However, he feels this is a good time for Irish clothing manufacturers in Britain.
"There are great opportunities for Irish merchandise at the moment." His own company, Lisa Lovell, is expecting further growth sales at Birmingham's Premier fair this week. "There's a great gap in the UK market, where they're looking for something wellmade and nicely styled," argues Peter Catterson of Michel Ambers. "We've been showing our autumn range for the past two weeks and already sales are up 20 per cent."