Shoppers in Hambleton are being urged to buy from their local and independent businesses in a pre-Christmas campaign led by Britain’s biggest business representation group.
The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that the unprecedented pressure on small businesses throughout 2020 means they desperately need a boost from their local communities in the run-up to Christmas, coming out of lockdown.
As a result, they have called on everyone to provide some much-needed Christmas cheer for Britain’s independent businesses by thinking local first this Christmas.
The ‘Love Your Small Independent Business’ campaign is asking local people to not only actively support their local independent businesses by using the hashtag #ilovesmallbusiness online, but also to share images of their actual purchases and recommendations of small shops and businesses by using the hashtag #ShopHereThisChristmas.
It also calls on people to place reviews of their favourite businesses online as well to persuade others to ‘shopsmall’ and think local first in line with the current high-profile Google ‘Dear Local’ advertising push.
Welcoming the campaign, the FSB Regional Chairman Simon Williams said: “We all have a part to play to ensure our independent businesses have a fighting chance of rescuing their curtailed Christmas sales so they can continue to be part of the local community in 2021.
“It’s not just shops, but all small businesses who need our support.
“Taxi firms, hairdressers, pubs, newsagents, your personal trainer, the dry cleaners, arts centres, craft teachers, driving instructors, cake decorators, photographers – it’s not just about shops, although independent retail is crying out for strong Christmas trading of course.
‘’This has been an unbelievably testing time for all our brilliant small, independent businesses.
‘’Many have worked tirelessly to try and stay open and provide invaluable support and service to the community in a safe and secure way, and we know being part of a vibrant community with independent businesses is important to local people.
“We therefore hope local people support this campaign and reward the loyalty their local independents have shown to communities. They are the very heartbeat of local life.”
He added: “Many of our local retail business have innovated over the last few months by online ‘click and collect’ services and they need help too – don’t forget if it is on your Christmas list, think small retailers, who can provide it with a personal service, first! This way pounds spent stay local and benefit our local economy long term.”
The FSB campaign is also inviting retailers themselves to ensure they are part of this campaign by posting images of themselves and their shops online to entice shoppers using the hashtag #ShopHereThisChristmas.
The FSB’s National Chairman Mike Cherry said he felt it was imperative that we all did our best to try and support and enthuse about our local retailers and other independent businesses providing local services in the final, frantic weeks before Christmas.
“Small businesses are well and truly at the heart of our communities. That’s why it’s never been more important to support your local firms and, by extension, the community in which you live.”
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