Madam, – Kathy Sheridan (“Still spending, but not so fast,” Weekend Review, December 18th) quotes the managing director of one of our leading stores as stating “The Irish consumer doesn’t have an appetite for the hairshirt”.
But surely this represents a potentially lucrative market for luxury retailers in 2011? A stylish cilice with a signature velour hooded top and a gold-tone zip front would just fly off the shelves. Especially if creatively marketed under the exclusive EU/IMF brand and priced on the never-never. It would come with its own accessory – an exquisitely wrapped bailout tote bag. – Yours, etc,