Cost of living: The Warrenpoint businesses battling to stay afloat

Olga Fitzpatrick, who runs a gift shop in Warrenpoint, says costs are at an all-time high

"How am I to survive?"

That was the question one business owner asked of politicians this week in County Down.

Raffles gift shop, run by Olga Fitzpatrick, has been on Warrenpoint's Main Street for nearly 40 years but she said costs were at an all-time high.

"My electricity has increased 330%. That in turn means my turnover has to rise accordingly and in this time I have no hopes of doing that," she added.

Representatives from the hospitality, manufacturing, retail and construction sectors gathered in Warrenpoint to ask politicians what help was out there.

For those at the top table - Sinn Féin MP Chris Hazzard, Sinn Féin assembly member Cathy Mason, the SDLP's Colin McGrath and Patrick Brown from the Alliance Party - that was very much a listening exercise.

Each representative stressed a desire for an executive to be formed at Stormont as a means of addressing some of the most pressing challenges.

Politicians in County Down were questioned about what support was available for struggling businesses

But for some of those in attendance a plan B is needed.

"It's no help saying: 'If we had an executive - if, if, if','" said Natasha Daryaie of TGG Promotions.

"Something needs to be done today.

"We need our local MLAs to help our local small and medium enterprises.

"There needs to be more messages on their social media accounts of funding opportunities that they are aware of from the likes of Invest NI or InterTradeIreland."

'Costs are astronomical'

That view in Warrenpoint is shared by businesses elsewhere in Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce, which represents more than a thousand firms, has warned that they are "at a tipping point" due to rising costs.

It wants politicians to restore the executive before Friday's deadline in order to help companies deal with the problems they are facing.

A recent survey by the Londonderry Chamber of Commerce suggests that 67% of its members believe they have been been hurt financially by the lack of an executive.

Dan Fearon runs a cafe in the centre of Warrenpoint and in recent months he has seen the cost of doing business surge.

Mr Fearon said he had not seen the price of milk rise for about four years but in the past six months it had gone up by between 20% and 30%.

Cafe owner Dan Fearon says the cost of chicken for his business has increased by up to 60%

"The same with packaging. The same with our food. Chicken prices up 50% to 60%," he added.

"The knock-on effects starting with Brexit, then Covid and then the crisis in Ukraine."

• Why are prices rising so much?

• Three things to do as energy bills go up

He is not alone - businesses across Northern Ireland and further afield are trying to balance rising production, operating and service costs with prices their customers can pay.

Some of those business were brought together by the Warrenpoint, Burren and Rostrevor Chamber of Commerce.

Architect John Cole said "astronomical" building costs were not helping the industry.

"Pre-Covid we were maybe talking £90-100 a square foot [to build a house]," he said.

Warrenpoint Harbour is situated in Carlingford Lough

"Now you are talking £140 a square foot so it's almost a 50% increase on building costs - it's knocking people.

"They can't afford to build a house and that knocks us through our business."

'Prices up, sales down'

The town is home to one of Northern Ireland's largest ports.

Kieran Grant from the port said business was still being done but it had become more challenging.

"There are several factors," he said.

"The high energy costs, so the cost of shipping is very high because of fuel.

"Less money in the economy therefore less consumption, therefore shipping is dropping off.

"But we are hopeful of retaining our existing customer base for the foreseeable future."

Bridie Lively and Sarah McAvoy from the Whistledown Hotel are struggling to fill staff vacancies

Shane Neary from NearyNógs Stoneground Chocolate said rising prices were affecting his sales.

"We have machinery that is on 24-hours a day so we are seeing a big jump in our electrical price charges - as much as 300-400% over the last 24 months," he said.

"There seems to be no limit or ceiling to that in our industry so that has forced our prices up and our sales down."

To survive businesses are having to be flexible and imaginative and that includes the Whistledown Hotel, which hosted the event.

'Curtail our hours'

Hotel owner Sarah McAvoy said high operating costs were not the only challenge.

"There is a skills shortage in hospitality," she said.

"We need more workers. We've had to curtail our hours because we don't want to put too much pressure on the workers we have already.

"We've had to take the unprecedented step of closing for two and half weeks in November to facilitate staff holidays - otherwise we could lose them.

"We've been in business for 28 years and we've never had to do anything like this before."

Hotel manager Bernie Lively agreed.

"People aren't coming in to this trade," she said. "They can't get childcare or they can't afford it.

"In recent times we put in adverts for staff - you would have had 30, 40, 50 applications for jobs, now you might get five."

Warrenpoint is not the only town feeling the pressure of rising costs.

South Down politicians are not the only ones trying to find solutions.

But for the businesses located around this seaside town it is hoped the choppy waters will soon start to calm.