With the Covid19 pandemic changing consumer shopping behaviours and the face of the UK high street forever, it's understandable that British shoppers will be thinking hard about the best places to spend their hard-earned money in the coming months.  

Although spending with small businesses and local independents has a direct, tangible and immediate impact upon the firm or service in question, many friends and family members are employed by larger retail chains in Glossop such as Tesco, Next and Aldi, which all have an impact locally.  

This is undoubtedly something to be considered, especially when many longstanding giants of the UK's retail scene - such as Debenhams - have shut their doors forever after failing to survive the pandemic and subsequent national lockdowns.  

‍The benefits to buying local  

With that in mind, what is the case for supporting local indie businesses, and what's the best way to spend your money for maximum benefit to all?  

In a government article on supporting local business, published last summer after the first lockdown, 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, and they will be at the centre of the recovery. These small firms - from the local greengrocer, to the neighbourhood gift shop - were there for the nation during lockdown and now they need our support to get back on their feet"

‍How do the figures stack up?  

The research and figures are there, too. According to data firm Kantar, 65 per cent of UK consumers believe that local shops are important to the community, and, even more telling, almost half of small business owners say that if everyone in their local community spent just £5.00 extra per week with small, indie businesses, it would help to keep them open in the long term, according to another study by Visa.  

In this Independent article, Christian Jaccarini, a senior consultant for NEF Consulting, found that for every £1.00 spent with small, local businesses, an extra 56 pence is spent locally as the money dissipates. And, if all staff in a business live locally to their workplace, that same £1.00 spent at a local business could mean another £1.64 would subsequently be spent locally by associated individuals and businesses. This means there's effectively an extra £1.00 up for grabs if local businesses like this then employ local individuals and buy from local suppliers.  

‍Glossop's vibrant offering   

Claire Tymon, founder and project lead of Glossop Creates said: "In Glossop, we are lucky to have a number of incredible independent businesses on our doorstep, so if you are looking to buy a floral centrepiece, a gift, a book, a birthday card or a piece of artwork - as well as fresh local meat, veggies, baked goods and wine - we are spoilt for choice.  

"Of course, large chains like Tesco and Aldi provide lots of employment opportunities for local people, and they offer a vast range of affordable goods that we all rely on, but it's absolutely worth looking to the local indies for the odd purchase rather than immediately logging onto Amazon or relying on the large retailers for things like cards, gifts, wines and books - or even produce for special occasions. It's clear from the evidence that spending just a few pounds locally every month can make a huge difference to the local economy - without affecting the success of the larger chains which employ friends and family members. And, with around 33,000 people in our town, we could make a serious difference if we all shopped in this way.  

"Glossop Creates was founded to give our local independent and creative businesses a place to profile their products and services, making it easier for shoppers to find and buy locally produced goods and crafts. Many indies operate ecommerce websites and deliver locally for free, too, so it's really worth having a browse to see what you can earmark for future purchases! On many occasions you'll be buying something more unusual and bespoke, too - another reason to shop locally and support local businesses."  

Have a look at www.glossopcreates.com and see what products you could buy in the future to ensure the long-term success of our vibrant community of independent creative businesses and food outlets.  

"Glossop Creates was founded to give our local independent and creative businesses a place to profile their products and services, making it easier for shoppers to find and buy locally produced goods and crafts." - Claire Tymon