.IE Tipping Point Report 2022

About .IE .IE is the national registry for .ie domain names and the trusted and progressive guardian of Ireland’s unique online .ie address. Our purpose is to enable and empower people, communities and businesses across Ireland to thrive online. u We operate the domain name system (DNS) for the .ie namespace, facilitate an independent dispute resolution service , and operate a public WHOIS lookup service for .ie domains. u In cooperation with our Registrars, technical partners and stakeholders, we help advance Ireland’s internet ecosystem. Good governance is evidenced in our policy development process for the .ie namespace, which follows a bottom-up, consensus-driven approach through a multi-stakeholder Policy Advisory Committee. u At .IE we are committed to digital advocacy for SMEs and for local towns and communities. Through stakeholder engagement initiatives such as .IE Digital Town , we work with and support SME organisations to improve their members’ online presence and e-commerce capabilities so they can unlock the power of the internet to boost sales. u We also produce fact-based research for the business community and policymakers, such as the .IE Domain Profile Report and this .IE Tipping Point Report , which charts the attitudes to digital of Irish SMEs and consumers during the Covid-19 pandemic. There are over 330,000 .ie domain names registered. Since March 2018, it is easier and faster to register a .ie domain. As part of the .ie domain registration process, every applicant must provide tangible evidence of a connection to Ireland. Methodology The Tipping Point report was commissioned by IE. Fieldwork was performed by Core Research. A total of 1,000 consumers aged 18+ were surveyed via online questionnaire. A total of 502 SMEs in the retail and customer-facing professional services sectors were interviewed via telephone. Research was carried out between 6th January and 4th February 2022. SME sample size breakdown „ COMPANY SIZE 1-5 = 51% 6-10 = 22% 11-15 = 8% 16-20 = 6% 21-30 = 3% 31+ = 10% „ BUSINESS TYPE 78 Medical 72 Retail 48 Coffee Shop / Pub / Restaurant / Baker 41 Beauty Salon / Hairdresser / Barber 26 IT (Computer / IT / Electrical) 24 Convenience Store / Newsagent 22 Engineering / Manufacturing 22 Tourism (Hotel / B&B / Travel Agent) 15 Construction 15 Fitness (Gym / Sports Centre) 14 Finance 11 Architect / Interior Design 9 Legal Services 9 Auctioneer / Property Mgmt 7 Horticulture 6 Automotive 83 Other „ REGION 36% Dublin 24% Rest of Leinster 25% Munster 15% Connacht-Ulster About Digital Business Ireland ‘Digital Business Ireland (DBI) is the voice of the Irish digital commerce sector. Set up in 2019, DBI counts over 8,000 businesses in its community with Guaranteed Irish, Health Stores Ireland, the Association of Fine Jewellers, County Kildare Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Inspire Network, and IPAV among its affiliate members. It continues to grow its membership footprint across a wide range of online and digital businesses including technology, retail, hospitality, professional services, travel, transport, education, leisure, agri-business, and property. DBI provides a range of services to its membership including training and events, networking opportunities, general advisory, insights, advocacy, and public policy influence, all of which facilitate digital businesses to grow, thrive, and achieve their ambitions.’ About Core Research ‘Core Research is part of Core, Ireland’s largest marketing communications company. Core Research analyses the data from every source to truly understand people and brands. Its insights lead to smarter, more accurate, and successful decisions.’ .IE Tipping Point 2022: Irish e-commerce and digital business in the post-Covid era | 13