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Why
not take on the credit crunch by getting out there
to let customers know you are still open offering great
products and services at great prices right on their
doorstep.
People still need to eat.
People still need
stuff.
People are still buying stuff. Businesses are
still selling stuff.
But not if you turn on the telly
every evening after a day at work.
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That’s
the opinion of a growing number of small independent
retailers throughout Scotland who have decided
to group together during this run up to Christmas by
taking on the likes of the television shopping giant,
QVC.
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The
campaign has been launched by the traders in the dynamic
and historic spa town of Bridge of Allan. Around 20
traders have been filmed on their shops in QVC style
to let local people know that they too have those special
gifts for Christmas as seen on many websites and shopping
channels.
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 The added advantage to bargain
hunting shoppers is that they can order products through
the trader’s
website with piece of mind that they can just pop into
their shop to pick up their purchases. No delivery
charges, no disappointments because of non-delivery
and a warm Christmas feeling that the local community
is being supported by buying from their local trader. |
Irene Bottoms
of Flame N Cook in Bridge of Allan is very excited
by the project. “I have been in
retail for over 25 years and I believe that offering
a personal service as well as great products at great
prices will keep our customers coming back. We want
to embrace new technology so that the people in the
local area know what we have to offer on their doorstep.
And there is a new generation of kids growing up who
buy everything online who we want to reach as new customers
too.”
This pro-active
attitude undertaken by the Bridge of Allan traders
has already started to spread across
Scotland. Traders in Stonehaven have joined the campaign
with the same vigour and enthusiasm. Respected local
businessman, George McGillivray, commented “this
is a wonderful idea for the small local businesses
in Stonehaven and Aberdeenshire. It’s amazing
what you can still buy locally but there’s lots
of people in the local area just don’t know where
to find it”.
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And
in Falkirk, support to the local businesses has been
voiced by Falkirk
MP, Eric Joyce, who is encouraging
the local people of Falkirk to shop with independent
local businesses by buying some or all of their Christmas
shopping off them in the coming weeks.
Even in the bigger
conurbations we commonly know as the cities, the opportunity
is
being taken up. The
stylist restaurant and bar in Glasgow’s west
end, locally known as “The
Chip” or Ubiquitous Chip to outsiders, have
taken on the challenge by showcasing their premises
for an increasingly choose festive diner.
And in Liverpool,
local motorcycle retailer, Orrell
Park Motorcycles, has taken up the challenge of
attracting Christmas shoppers for families of motorbike
enthusiasts. Those long suffering relatives of the
hairy bikers are being attracted to the premises to
buy a Christmas “prezzy” that their better
halves will appreciate for once. |
There
are lots of examples of small business entrepreneur’s battling these times by using their
brains, gut feelings and common sense to keep their businesses
running. This attitude and self-belief is the lifeblood
of our economy and our national prosperity. And to grab
consumers’ attention this Christmas, retailers
are working hard to get consumers on to the high street.
And even in these challenging
economic times, the traders in Bridge of Allan can
still find time to organise
their annual Charity Fun Day that raised over £10,000
for local charities last year. This annual event is
supported by the local family dairy, Graham’s
Dairies, and is a showcase of optimism for small towns
and villages across the UK that demonstrates where
a community working together can thrive even when the
going gets tough.
So the message to Christmas shoppers this
year is “Support
your local community by supporting your local retailer”.
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