To ask you to all buy local this year for Christmas?

[MrsRogerLima]

I know it's tempting (and often cheaper) to buy everything in the supermarkets and off ebay/amazon but please consider what local business support you can offer this year.

Place a meat order at your local butcher for your turkey, scout out the local market or greengrocer for your veg, buy your sweets and cakes from the local bakery and cards and gifts from as many independent stores as you can they really need us.

The supermarkets have made billions in profit this year and by continuing to shop there we are contributing to the death of local business and the High Street.

So please do what you can as locally as possible 🙂

www.statista.com/statistics/490931/tesco-group-finance-revenue-united-kingdom-uk/

www.retailgazette.co.uk/blog/2020/05/uk-grocery-enjoys-biggest-sales-jump-in-26-years/

Unfortunately it’s not easy for some people to buy locally, depends obviously on what shops you have nearby. We have some shops within 5 mins walk, but can’t exactly get everything we need from a Co-Op, Post Office, Newsagent (a chain one), Bakers, fish & chip shop, betting shop, Pizza takeaway, off-licence and two hairdressers!

Would love it, if we had a butchers, an independent gift shop etc. But we don’t. Use to have a garden centre part of a smallish chain of family owned ones, which sold some nice gifts, a craft shop, cafe etc., but unfortunately land was sold, & houses are being built on it.

I confess I do use Amazon a lot, but where I can I buy from the many smaller businesses on there I do.

Shop locally by all means if you prefer but don't forget how many people are employed by supermarkets, most of which will have far better employee benefits and job security than the local butcher or greengrocer.

@MrsRogerLima I get where you are coming from, and likewise I understand the issues raised by other posters.

We are fortunate that we can shop in a mixture of places, however it is only possible financially by using Amazon and the supermarket to save in places, this allowing me to use the remaining budget locally.

We use a local butcher (free delivery over £35), bakery (free delivery over £20) who do veg, eggs and milk too. Local wine shop (free delivery when you buy a case), local baby boutique (free delivery gift wrapped to recipients)...

On the flip side we don’t have a local independent book shop... haven’t done since I was a child. Waterstones on the high street wanted £12.99... Amazon was £4 with free delivery!
Local grocery store is extortionate and to feed a family of five I need a weekly supermarket delivery.

@Thedarknightsaredrawingin, always have a look at Hive (www.hive.co.uk/) for books. Often it's a similar price to Amazon and they support local bookshops (you can choose one to support and will tell you which local(ish) ones you have to choose from).

When shopping locally gives me the product I actually want, for the same price, the same quality, warranty, ease of return, with free next day delivery I'll consider it.

Until then I'll continue to shop where it is most cost effective and convenient for me.

Stop telling other people how to spend their own money.

A big issue I’ve found is that lots of independent shops locally have no online presence. I’d support them if they did.
This is the issue. I’m not going to trail around local shops during a pandemic just to have a browse. I used to enjoy doing that but it’s too risky now. There’s usually a local craft market at Christmas but it’s cancelled this year, as is the local food market. Every single present has been bought online, I haven’t been to a shop since February. If it’s not available online then I’m not buying it.

I don't even disagree with you OP, but Christ, these repetetive posts come over as sanctimonious and tone-deaf. Weirdly enough, the people who are able, inclined, and well off enough to shop locally probably will anyway.

The rest of us will rely on other options and its not ideal to feel preached at by the former.

Working hours, another constraint of many independent place.
There are those that only open Monday - Friday 9 - 5/6. Unless you live and work locally, cannot always pop out to pick some stuff up. And even then not many people want to go traipsing around shops during their lunch,

@LittleMissLockdown

Ahhh yet another poster from a privileged life offering advice to those on here many who have financial difficulties, disabilities which make Internet shopping easier or who live in arse end of nowhere with very few local independent shops.

It must be lovely to have the privilege of being able to buy locally and not think teice about why places like supermarkets and online are thriving.

Please don't make assumptions, you know nothing of my life.

Please don't make assumptions, you know nothing of my life.

It's not making assumptions though. Anyone fortunate enough to be able to spend more at independents and have the luxery of shopping locally right now is indeed living a privileged life.

@canigooutyet

Working hours, another constraint of many independent place. There are those that only open Monday - Friday 9 - 5/6. Unless you live and work locally, cannot always pop out to pick some stuff up. And even then not many people want to go traipsing around shops during their lunch,

I’m a nurse working in a nursing home. Loads of my local indies open 10-3 . Then closed on random days like Tuesday or Monday. Right before lockdown 2 I had an early finish on a Friday (3pm) and headed for the high street to buy some Christmas gifts to find they only opened until 3 or 4! Finally managed to get to a indie card shop on the Sunday morning and the owners (two single middle aged adults with no dependents) were complaining about having to shut at their busiest time. I asked if they’d been doing late openings to accommodate workers (til 6 or 8pm) until the lockdown started and they looked at me like I had two heads.

I wouldn't be spending more though, perhaps I just buy less than most.

I'd say I was fairly average. I earn minimum wage, rent, run an old but reliable car. DH works part time to cover childcare needs.

So i'm spending what I would normally spend, just spending it elsewhere.

Why would you go and shop in person and risk spreading Covid this year? I'm intending to do as little in-person shopping as I can.

It’d be something to consider if we weren’t in and out of self-isolation and erm...lockdown.
So the local gift shops are going to have to do something to re-brand as essential I suppose.

I like to buy locally, however I bought a very ordinary turkey from a local butcher. It was £80! The next year I took a chance and bought a lovely one reduced in the supermarket for £14 , reduced from £28.

One of my clients is a medium sized high street retailer. They have lost millions this year, hundreds of people made redundant as a result, both in head office roles and in stores. They may not make it to the end of the year as a result of the 2nd lockdown - thousands will then lose their jobs.

Large and medium sized companies employ lots of people from management roles to the post room team and the people that drive the vans.. It's not just the CEO sitting in a gold plated office counting his money!

Just spend what you can afford, where you can afford to. The money you spend in Primark/Asda all goes into the economy, the same as the money you spend in your local gift shops/food suppliers. It's just a different route and nobody needs to feel bad about those choices.

@FraterculaArctica

Why would you go and shop in person and risk spreading Covid this year? I'm intending to do as little in-person shopping as I can.

That too, especially given the fact I’m working in a nursing home.

I’m more interested in not killing my patients than buying a few candles and teddies from “Party Gifts & Thingz” on the high street.

@FourFlapjacksPlease as a furloughed employee of one of those high street chains who is worried about her job I want to say thanks for that, it makes me very sad to see the attitude of 'instead of giving your money to big corporations this year why not support local business' as it seems to be somehow implying that our jobs and ability to support ourselves and our family is much less important than someone else's. I understand that it's important to support small businesses as well if you can but not just for the sake of it- if there's something I want to buy and I can get it from a small independent I will but if not I'll happily buy it from a big company and not feel guilty for it!

[quote TheCrow]@FourFlapjacksPlease as a furloughed employee of one of those high street chains who is worried about her job I want to say thanks for that, it makes me very sad to see the attitude of 'instead of giving your money to big corporations this year why not support local business' as it seems to be somehow implying that our jobs and ability to support ourselves and our family is much less important than someone else's. I understand that it's important to support small businesses as well if you can but not just for the sake of it- if there's something I want to buy and I can get it from a small independent I will but if not I'll happily buy it from a big company and not feel guilty for it![/quote]
Yes, I have to admit that I don’t feel one bit guilty supporting the big and medium chains that have a presence in my town as they are some of the major employers round here. Our Debenhams for example is an at risk store. Same for our M&S. Good friends lost their jobs at John Lewis, Woolies, BHS, Bon March etc and it was devastating for them. Some of them were lucky to get other retail shops. My friends that work in the arts or hospitality are mainly working supermarket jobs at the moment to pay their mortgages and feed their kids. Demonising these shops and discouraging people to buy from them is going to result in more job losses, more homes lost and kids being fed from food banks.

For me personally I'm trying to shop locally - independent where possible but bricks and mortar chain store if not, as opposed to online chain store (even if it's the same chain store). I do recognise that chains employ the people in my city the same way independents do, so I'm certainly not seeking to demonise them or wishing those jobs lost. I feel that the online elements of big businesses have had enough of a boost this year so would rather support locals or high street and try and retain those jobs.

Yes, I am privileged to have the choice. I do think though that sometimes we all assume that Amazon, for example is the cheapest/most convenient when that's not the case, so I guess perhaps the message is that even if you are watching the budget, as long as you have the time (even if online only), why not see if you can get it for the same price elsewhere?

Also, it's not all or nothing. I completely understand that if something is a fraction of the price at Amazon you're going to buy it there. If something else is 50p cheaper at Amazon and you have the ability to spare that 50p, perhaps that could be a choice. Same with food, yes, the full Christmas food shop might be way out of reach from a local butcher/baker/green grocer etc, but what about a bit of cheese from the local cheese shop and everything else from the supermarket? If it's not possible to at all for budget or access reasons or whatever that's fine, no need to defend that.

@FraterculaArctica

Why would you go and shop in person and risk spreading Covid this year? I'm intending to do as little in-person shopping as I can.

Exactly. Surely the less people out browsing the better.

Large online retailers employ a huge amount of people which in turn benefits the economy far more than smaller businesses.

They are also usually quicker and cheaper on delivery which makes a huge difference.

Unfortunately I no longer have an independent greengrocers. My husband and I supported it but clearly the lockdown finally finished it off.

We shop for some things at our zero waste shop but ethical shopping for me does still mean online.

My husband and I don't drive. I have Rheumatoid arthritis which can change from mild to severe in the same day.

I have been buying from local sellers on Etsy, a lovely company who sell their own vegan and environmental themed artwork on clothing. Books come from the hive.

I don't support amazon except for occasional kindle book but still rely on supermarkets and big chains like Holland and Barrett and Superdrug.

Taking your advice on board OP,
I thought of this thread this afternoon and instead of going into Asda I went into the independent bakery opposite the carpark & bought 3 apple pies (Mr Kipling size) and one meat pie (for one person).
£8.45.
WTF.
No, I won’t be going in there again.

I suppose my point is you can support independant and small businesses online. That's far more realistic than local shopping for many people for many reasons. Wider choices, disabilities, caring responsibilities, work, self isolation.

It also supports businesses who can't afford to have a physical shop or cannot open due to lockdown. I have bought lovely homemade bath bombs for DD, homemade candles for myself, a home sewn owl tree topper amongst other things. None of this is available locally.

I'm getting almost everything from Amazon/Game/John Lewis this year - there's no way I'm wandering in and out if multiple small shops during a pandemic, even if they were open.