New Milton Advertiser 27th Nov 2020

Friday 27th November 2020 · 25

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Featuring: SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

Keep it local Small Business Saturday

WITH retail businesses likely to continue feeling the e ects of the second national lockdown for many months to come the importance of shopping locally to boost the local economy has never been more pressing.

T he reopening of non- essential shops is set to coincide with the national grassroots movement Small Business Saturday which was launched eight years ago to urge Britons to support local business and small-scale traders. The run up to Christmas is one of the most important time in the retail calendar with some small businesses generating up to 80% of their annual profits in November and December. So as lockdown eases shoppers are encouraged to ‘think local’ when shopping for a whole ar- ray of festive gifts, food, electri- cal items and cards. Although the second lock- down has been an extremely difficult time for small business- es, there are some positives with research commissioned by American Express and Small Business Saturday UK revealing that 59% of people now have a greater awareness of the need to support local traders. In the last recession small business were a major driving force in economic recovery, be- cause unlike big national chains there were much slower to lay off staff, helping maintain local employment rates. According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), at the start of 2020 there were 5.94 million small businesses with under 49 staff in the UK, em- ploying 13.3 million people, with a turnover of £1.6tn. Early this summer The Lym- ington Society led a campaign Called “Shop Local - Save Jobs” urging local people to ‘think before they click’ and head out to local shops instead of going online. Lymington Society spokes- person Don Mackenzie said: “Maybe a call to a local shop could allow them to order in the item just as quickly as ordering online and help to preserve the High Street - which in our hearts we all want to survive. “Let’s all “think local” and feel good that we are doing our bit for the local economy and our community.” Small Business Saturday UK works around the year to help local businesses with various support including workshops and mentoring, social media training and advice on grants, but on 5th December the organ- isations says the key message is to get out and support the local shops and traders across the New Forest and Christchurch. As well as supporting local people to stay in work – shop- ping at small independent busi- ness can also mean better cus- tomer service, unique gift items and much easier point of con- tact if there are any problems post sale.

Here are just a few more rea- sons why we should all be fo- cused on supporting shops and businesses in our towns and villages. Spending money locally sup- ports local economies because money spent in small local shops is much more likely to be reinvested within the same area. For example independent shop owners are much more likely to drive money back into the local economy by cham- pioning local producers (such as produces produced as part of the New Forest Marquee scheme) and spending money in local pubs and restaurants which all helps to support other types of local employment. Small businesses are often shown to be better employers than large national chains, be- cause they have developed per- sonal relationships with their staff. This can lead to greater employment security which also support local economies. There is often a perception that shopping online is cheaper, but this is not always the case – especially when you factor in delivery costs and the potential expense of unsuitable returns. By shopping locally customers can get a much better idea of what they are purchasing and can avoid the frequent head- ache of items ordered online then going out of stock. When you visit a local shop, you can experience a face- to-face interaction with a real person, who is able to answer questions, offer advice, suggest alternative gift ideas, or even possibly source bespoke items. Local shops are also stocked to satisfy a tried and tested local demand – so you may find the perfect gifts that you are looking for much more easily on the High Street than by search through hundreds of web pages. Independent businesses are A call to a local shop could allow them to order in the item just as quickly as ordering online and help to preserve the High Street - which in our hearts we all want to survive.

PERFUMERY & CO. LYMINGTON LYMINGTON, 32 HIGH STREET CLARINS LAUNCHES AT Nordmann & Norway Spruce Christmas Trees Your one-stop shop for delicious locally-sourced festive food. Local meat, locally-raised free-range turkey, game, seasonal fruit and vegetables, selection of award-winning cheeses and much more. TO PLACE YOUR ORDER DURING LOCKDOWN THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS COLLECTION OR DELIVERY www.agarsnursery.co.uk Agars Lane, Hordle, Nr Lymington SO41 0FL 07831 454488 07966 109911 FREE delivery locally Longdown Farm Shop, Deerleap Lane, Ashurst T: 023 8029 2837 ext 5 E: enquiries@longdownfarm.co.uk www.longdownfarmshop.co.uk Open Daily 10am - 4pm PRODUCE BOXES TO ORDER & COLLECT ! See website for details. Come along and choose your own tree from our plantation or one of our pre-cut trees. From £20 A selection of wonderful hampers for a perfect Christmas gift.

far more likely to champion small artisan craftspeople – whether it is silversmiths, art- ists or clothes designers. This can give local crafts people the opportunity to build and develop their own operations – leading to more money being invested in the local economy. Supporting local business- es over larger international brands is a very British tradi- tion – we celebrate the unique attractions of our communities and most people would be hor- rified to have a local shopping centre entirely dominated by national chain stores. In the New Forest and Christchurch, the picturesque High Streets are a major tour- ist attraction, and it is the indi- viduality and quaint character associated with small shops which is at the very heart of this appeal. By supporting local busi- nesses, we are also helping to ensure much loved boutique shopping centres do not lose their appeal. And when it come to inspi- rational Christmas gift idea it is just shops that need sup- port – many restaurants, cafes, beauty salons and local attrac- tions will be hoping to sell gift vouchers for redemption in 2021 to help see them through this difficult period. If you have a favourite local restaurant or attraction in mind it is often worth checking their social me- dia pages for special offers on gift vouchers or experiences that can be enjoyed in the New Year. According to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), at the start of 2020 there were 5.94 million small businesses with under 49 sta in the UK, employing 13.3 million people, with a turnover of £1.6tn.

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PERFUMERY & CO. LYMINGTON LYMINGTON, 32 HIGH STREET CLARINS LAUNCHES AT PERFUMERY & CO. LYMINGTON INGTON, I CLARINS LAUNCHES AT TO PLACE YOUR ORDER DURING LOCKDOWN THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS COLLECTION OR DELIVERY T PL E Y R R ER RI L K THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS COLLECTION OR DELIVERY

A T L YMINGTON A T L YMINGTON