Newly opened Carrickfergus Boots store

The president of Carrickfergus Chamber of Commerce and Trade Michael McCune this week personally welcomed Rory O'Neill, the manager of the newly-opened Carrickfergus Boots store, as the latest member of the Carrickfergus Chamber of Commerce and Trade.

Mr McCune said: "It is great to see a household name like Boots setting up shop in Carrickfergus and we welcome the brand's commitment to the town. We believe that having such a well respected brand on our high street is to the advantage of both consumers and other retailers as it encourages people to shop locally and it will naturally attract other quality stores in to the town. This is a positive move for the economy of the borough and we are delighted to welcome the store manager into the Carrickfergus Chamber of Commerce and Trade."

Rory O'Neill, manager of the Carrickfergus branch of Boots, located on High Street, said: "I am delighted to be joining the local chamber of commerce as I feel it will allow us as a multi-national brand to integrate smoothly into the already thriving local business community in Carrickfergus. I am looking forward to getting to know other local business owners and our of course our customers over the coming months and I believe that Boots will be a huge asset for the town.

"While our store unit maybe smaller than other branches, we do offer the full Boots brand service here so customers can order anything from www.boots.com and then come into their local store to collect it a few days later. We also offer a first class pharmacy service as well as the normal high quality of services and products that consumers associate with the Boots brand name."

Janis Smyth, the business development manager of Carrickfergus Chamber of Commerce and Trade, is delighted to see a representative of Boots becoming a member of the chamber.

"We encourage all business owners in the town to become active members of their chamber of commerce so they can enjoy the benefits of networking, economic information, advocacy of their behalf on a wide range of issues as well as the social aspect of the organisation," she said.

"There is always strength in numbers and the more members Carrickfergus Chamber of Commerce and Trade attracts, the stronger it will become and the more benefits it will bring to the economy of the borough. It is very encouraging to see a famous quality retailer like Boots becoming a member of the chamber. The chamber's administrative office is right in the heart of the town on West Street and it is there for the benefit of local business so we encourage anyone who is interested in joining our organisation to just drop in for more information."