Homelessness charity upgrades Irish shops

Simon Communities of Ireland, which works with people who are homeless, has enlisted the support of a top design consultant to upgade its charity shops. John Henry Boyle of 21 Spaces will sharpen the charity's look and appeal to a wider market, particularly young people.

"The new image will put emphasis on how unique the Simon shops are. Instead of giving the hard sell we will show that in the new look shops a customer can find something new every day. That's the tag line -- 'something new every day,' " Mr Boyle said.

The Simon Communities of Ireland recently carried out a review of its shops operation, currently five outlets, and as well as the upgrades plans to expand the number of shops.