It’s time to get high street-wise for Christmas!
Shoppers urged to think local for festive season business campaign
SMALL businesses across the UK are being put in the spotlight this weekend as shoppers are urged to support local traders.
After a challenging near-two years of lockdowns, closures, restrictions and damage to trade caused by coronavirus and other factors, Small Business Saturday aims to highlight the importance of our local high street and independent retailers.
And Adam James, of W James Butchers in Leek Road, Baddeley Green, is backing calls to support small businesses this Christmas.
He said: “When you buy from a local shop you get a better quality of service. When it’s your own business you put everything into it – it’s not just somewhere where you work.
“We not only provide jobs for the community but we are part of the community. We know most of our customers by name.”
Rhiannon Cory, of Sparrowhawk Vintage in Liverpool Road, Newcastle, agrees that relationships are at the heart of small businesses.
She said: “Independent shops help to keep the high street alive and create a sense of community.
“It’s hard to have a relationship with an online retailer or a big chain. We have a lot of student customers and they really enjoy being part of something that isn’t just virtual.”
To mark Small Business Saturday on December 4, we’re urging everyone to #Thinkwhereyoushop and back independent traders as much as possible this Christmas.
The Sentinel has joined forces with Inyourarea, our sister local news platform, and Down Your High Street, an online shop window for UK bricks and mortar retailers, to encourage everyone to shop consciously this year and support smaller businesses.
In a survey carried out by Inyourarea last month, more than 80 per cent of people said it’s important to them to have a thriving local high street nearby.
Thirty-six per cent of the 1,973 respondents said they prefer to shop at smaller independent businesses in-person for nonessential items but 54 per cent of people said they prefer the likes of Amazon and ebay for online non-essential purchases.
There was an even split between people who believed local high streets as we know them have a strong future (34 per cent) and those who think online shopping will dominate (32 per cent). Thirty-four per cent said they weren’t sure.
Almost 70 per cent of people said local businesses should have been given more support throughout the pandemic.