Paul and Linda Cooley thought loads about opening a enterprise collectively when lockdown hit in March 2020.
Whereas many entrepreneurs throughout the nation have been being postpone throughout the disaster, the married couple determined it was now or by no means for them.
And so in April 2021, they determined to make the leap opening their very personal menswear retailer on the Greenhaw Street within the metropolis.
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Talking to MyDerry , Paul Cooley of Paul Martins Menswear Co stated the help from the Derry public had gone past his expectations.
He stated: “That is one thing that I believed and laborious about throughout the first lockdown. It has been one thing that I even needed to do earlier than Covid-19 came across us so this concept has been burning for fairly some time and I can not imagine the success we have had thus far.
“The primary 12 months has been incredible. It is superb the help that you simply get from the folks on this metropolis while you exit by yourself. It is gonna past something I may’ve imagined it to be.
“The folks have actually purchased into what we’re attempting to do. We try to offer good high quality menswear with distinctive service. When a person walks into our retailer we wish them to have the ability to really feel assured once they go away.
“That is a giant factor for us, we wish to have the ability to costume them from prime to backside and for them to be pleased with it.
“We felt there was a spot available in the market for that kind of service.
“When there was a possibility to open up on Greenhaw Street we jumped at it as a result of there was free parking for purchasers and the entire companies there are effectively run and all of us help one another.”
Paul Martin Menswear Co
The Derry-native stated the couple’s eagerness and pleasure to open their very own retailer, numerous nerves concerning the operating of the shop proceed to at the present time.
“You by no means lose the nerves,” Paul added. “That is one thing that I have been doing since I used to be 15-years-old as a result of my grandfather ran a sports activities store within the city and my father additionally helped me progress in retail.
“We knew what we needed to realize and we have been quietly assured that we may try this. We caught to what we felt was proper and it has labored thus far. We’re nonetheless nervous to at the present time. We do not get carried away and we open up on daily basis attempting to be higher than the final.”
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Shopping for from native suppliers is a giant a part of the family-run enterprise, with Paul saying he felt they knew what males right here needed to put on.
“I’m very acutely aware about who I get my clothes from,” he stated. “I really feel like Irish corporations have a very good understanding of what Irish males need to put on.
“We work carefully with plenty of suppliers from Eire and a lot of the stuff that folks see within the store is designed throughout this island and that is crucial to us. “
“It exhibits our prospects that we care the place our clothes is coming from and the way it’s sourced and we hope it attracts folks to return alongside and see what we now have to supply.”
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