· Shoppers are being urged to support their local businesses
· Shopping local helps support the local economy, creates jobs and boosts local communities during these difficult times
#ShopLocalWatford
From popping into a local family-run bakery for a loaf of bread, or buying your week’s grocery from your local grocery shop, by shopping locally people can help local business owners and local communities get through the third lockdown.
Here are eight reasons why customers should support local businesses and shop local:
1. Help the high street and support the local economy
Shopping at local businesses pumps money into the local economy, and by spending money in their local shop or restaurant, shoppers can do their bit to support the local economy.
2. Save jobs – and create even more
Supporting our high streets, even during these difficult times, creates jobs in local communities, supporting often young and disadvantaged people to find employment. Helping to grow the number of jobs in our local areas makes for a better place to live and work, which then creates a healthy economy for the community.
3. Great deals
People might be surprised to see just how competitive the prices are in your local shops. Independent retailers often reward regular customers, while others often provide great deals that can’t be found in major outlets – meaning people save money as they spend.
4. A safe way to shop
Essential retailers in Watford and across the country have been following government guidance and implementing a range of measures to ensure people are safe while they shop, such as customer limits inside the store, plastic partitions at tills, and hand sanitizing stations.
5. Preserving the heart of the community
A thriving high street is key to boosting the potential of a village or town where people can build a relationship between them and the local shop owners and socialise in that sense. Local businesses also generate revenue to support council services such as libraries, parks and roads that benefit communities across the UK.
6. Spoilt for choice
Small and local businesses often stock items which are made locally and aren’t available elsewhere else, providing a great range of choice and unique products that bring much-needed originality and variety into communities – including rare finds and items that aren’t mass-produced.
7. A better shopping experience
Small businesses are often run by people who live nearby. As Watford continues to stragle from the pandemic with the second lockdown, the experience of buying locally from a friendly face offers a dose of normality that many people may have missed.
8. Help the environment
Local shops often source their goods locally, helping to reduce their carbon footprint. When shopping local, people are also more likely to walk or cycle to get there which is not only the safer way to travel at the moment, but it allows them to do their bit to reduce air pollution, reduce traffic, and improve the quality of the nation’s high streets.
Michelle Ovens, Director of Small Business Saturday UK and Founder of Small Business Britain said: “Small businesses are the beating heart of communities and town centres up and down the country.
It is important to encourage more people to return to shopping locally, in a way that is safe and gives them confidence. The British high street is confronting seismic changes, which have been accelerated by Covid-19. Small businesses are facing a really tough time, but they are also at the forefront of responding to this challenge.
Now is the time to show your local area some love.”
During the second lockdown, for members of the public who are continuing to shield, shopping online is a great way to still do your part. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy nationwide, but crucially are the cornerstones of our local communities.