The Blarney Woollen Mills stores are owned and operated by the family run Blarney Woollen Mills group. The group also operates the Meadows and Byrne Homestores and a number of Hotels throughout Ireland. Stores sell a wide range of uniquely Irish Gifts including Waterford Crystal, Belleek China, Lladro, Aran Sweaters, Irish Crystal, Irish Linen, Irish Jewellery and Celtic Gifts.
The flagship store is located in the picturesque village of Blarney, just six miles from Cork City. This 30,000 square foot retail store is housed in one of Ireland's oldest and most authentic Irish woollen mills.
The group first installed “Meridian” EPOS in 1997 and have used features of the system to enhance the services they offer their customers.
They now offer completely integrated VAT refund facilities at point of sale. All relevant documentation is printed directly at the register by the EPOS system, the customer simply fills out their name/address and signs.
Customers may use any of a wide range of foreign currencies in payment for purchases at any of the cash registers. Exchange rates offered are centrally controlled and updated on a daily basis. The Stores also use the Bureau de Change facility to allow visitors exchange currency for Euro.
The Blarney Woollen Mills stores were also one of the first retail outlets in Ireland to offer DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion) to foreign visitors paying by credit card. This facility allows the customer to be quoted a fixed price in their home currency at time of purchase. DCC has proved extremely popular with overseas visitors who no longer have to wait for their credit card statement on their return home in order to see how much their purchases have actually cost them.
The EPOS system also allows sales staff to process requests by visitors to ship items to their home address and automatically deducts the VAT for goods going outside the EU, all this happens directly at the point of sale, no queuing at special service desks.
“Meridian has allowed us to expand the range of services we offer and has provided the information to allow us make intelligent business decisions”,
Pat Kelleher, Director, Blarney Woollen Mills group.
