Keep it local
Plea to Christmas shoppers
CHRISTMAS shoppers in Charnwood are being urged to buy local and help businesses during these difficult times.
The borough council’s Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign has launched its festive push to urge people to look online for local shops and when restrictions are eased next week, to return to the high street and shop safely for gifts.
The council has also launched an online shopping website, offering virtual high street shopping with a distinctly local twist.
The new site – www.shoplocal. charnwood.gov.uk will feature a multitude of local businesses ranging from food and drink, groceries as well as toys, crafts and art.
This all-new e-commerce site will serve as a vital service to residents with both click and collect and local delivery available. Local businesses are being urged to sign up for free to help them showcase their business and trade online. All they need is a mobile phone.
The campaign is being backed by Love Loughborough which will soon be going live with its own e-commerce website offering its members the same chance to trade online.
Councillor Shona Rattray, the council’s lead member for business support, said: “There are some fantastic local businesses and they need your support more than ever.
“Many of them have adapted to sell their goods online or on their social media profiles so I would strongly encourage people to consider some of the local shops and search them out online.
“We will try to help by offering businesses the chance to put their website addresses and links to social media profiles on the council website. We’ll also highlight local businesses on our social media profiles.
“We will be looking at other ways to support the local retail sector in the run-up to Christmas because they need us more than ever.
“It’s also worth remembering that some shops are still open. So I would say to people try, whether it’s online or actually in the high shop, Shop Safe, Shop Local this Christmas.”
Mike Tyler, director at Tylers Department Store, said: “The current Covid-19 pandemic is changing our towns beyond recognition. To prevent the loss of choice and diversity and to keep our towns vibrant and meaningful we all have a major part to play; that is shop local and support local businesses that employ local people and pay local taxes.
“We are adapting the way we retail with click and collect and online sales to provide a safe way of shopping locally and supporting local business, we even have a collection point where customers can collect by car. We have all the necessary safety measures in store and in the café for when we are allowed to reopen and re-welcome all our muchappreciated customers.”
Bruce Wheeler from Wheelers Luxury Gifts added: “Wheelers have a very strong online presence, supporting the local community and the rest of the UK. Our loyal and greatly supportive customers can browse our site and have their parcel delivered direct to their door, use our click and collect, or place an order over the phone to collect from the shop safely and securely.
“We also post all over the world helping local customers to send gifts to relatives around the world.
“We look forward to being able to open our physical store once the
lockdown restrictions have been lifted, offering a safe, secure environment to shop in.”
The council will be using festive signage and barriers in Charnwood high streets to encourage shoppers to use local stores for their Christmas shopping. Working with local businesses, all steps are being taken
to ensure the public is safe when shopping across the borough.
When lockdown lifts, many pubs, restaurants and cafés will continue to operate with food and drink deliveries and click and collect.
To support smaller high street stores with no online capability, a website is being launched which will
give businesses a portal to help sell their products.
For essential shopping, there are a number of stores on the high street open and Loughborough market will continue to operate for essential items on Thursdays and Saturdays and the Friday market in Shepshed will continue on the same basis.
The Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign is funded thanks to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund which is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.
Any business owners wanting their firm added to the council’s e-commerce site, should complete an online form at https://bit.ly/ CBCBusinessSignUp. If you’re looking for a local business to buy your festive gifts and produce, visit www. shoplocal.charnwood.gov.uk.
For more information on the campaign, visit www.charnwood.gov. uk/shopsafechristmas and follow @ShopCharnwood on Twitter.