Kilkenny Group, a design and craft business, aims to expand its sales in the US this year with a heavy focus on e-commerce.
Founded by the government in 1963 and originally based in Kilkenny, the company is now headquartered in Cork, employs 221 staff, and reported revenue of €32 million last year.
“We’re champions of Irish design and craft. We partner with over 250 Irish designers and makers to create strong customer experiences across our retail shops and online,” Evelyn Moynihan, chief executive of Kilkenny Group told the Business Post.
The company was started in the grounds of Kilkenny Castle by the government in order to set up a hub to nurture designers and makers from across the country.
“Once the makers started to create products, it led to the first shop being opened in Kilkenny City. That was followed by the store on Nassau St in Dublin, which remains our flagship store today,” Moynihan said.
“The headquarters have been in Cork for quite some time. Over the decades, the business has grown considerably and it’s great that a business with such heritage has remained in operation for so long.”
Moynihan previously held roles at Diageo and Musgraves, and joined Kilkenny Group five years ago. Having initially been appointed as marketing and business development director, she moved to the chief executive role four years ago.
That spell has included the company taking charge of retail outlets at the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle and Vandeleur Walled Garden, all in Co Clare. In total, the business manages 21 physical retail stores. While there has been substantial growth in the bricks and mortar business during Moynihan’s time at the helm, Kilkenny Group has also shifted more into online sales.
“We obviously had to manage Covid during that period. We’ve invested over €400,000 in a new e-commerce platform and that has resulted in a huge acceleration in growth in online sales,” she said.
“We’ve also invested in designing and developing our own branded products, which has also enjoyed good growth.”
Enterprise Ireland has supported the business, including aiding it with the increased focus on e-commerce.
“They have helped us scale up our own brand ranges, including a heritage knitwear collection and a Lennon Courtney design partnership for clothing, accessories and homeware,” Moynihan said.
“They have been particularly helpful in aiding us in scaling into markets like the US. They have helped us to understand what the customer in the US is looking for and how we can meet that need.”
That growth will be targeted online, with Kilkenny Group seeking to leverage its investment in e-commerce into greater returns across the Atlantic.
“The initial plan with the US is focused on scaling up our e-commerce business. We’re also looking at various marketplaces where our products will add value,” Moynihan said.
“We get a lot of visitors to our locations in Ireland. We seek to keep that relationship going afterwards and that helps grow the e-commerce platform.”
This Making it Work article was produced in partnership with Enterprise Ireland