Brits plan to shop local this Christmas, spending 6.2 billion pounds

Last week London’s King’s Cross retail emporium Coal Drops Yard called for locals to do their holiday shopping in physical stores in support of their communities.

British consumers plan to do just that, according to research commissioned by American Express, which finds seven in ten Brits say they will visit local shops and businesses this month (70 percent) in what will be a 6.2 billion pound holiday shopping season.

The research also found nearly half of those shopping with small businesses will do so because they want to support local jobs (47 percent). A further three in ten say it’s because these businesses have worked really hard this year and they want to see them succeed (31 percent).

Navigating lockdowns and social distancing measures, among other challenges, small businesses have had to dig deep on their resilience and agility this year. Just over three quarters (78 percent) of UK adults say they admire how local businesses have navigated Covid-19 and want to continue supporting local businesses for the long term (78 percent). Over four in five consider local shop workers to be frontline; an essential part of the community (83 percent) and seven in ten say they appreciate local businesses more now than ever before (71 percent).

Dan Edelman, General Manager UK, Global Merchant and Network Services, American Express said: “2020 has been hard for everyone but the resilience and creativity of small businesses in the face of the most trying of circumstances continues to be nothing short of incredible. It’s great to see that Brits recognise the important contribution local small businesses make and want to show their support, rewarding them with a much-needed boost to spending before the end of the year. As principal supporter of Small Business Saturday (5 December), we hope that people will continue to show their support for their local independents by shopping small, not just this December but all year round.”

Image via Pexels