Brits plan to spend billions at local shops in December

The local shopping revival is showing no signs of stopping ahead of Small Business Saturday on 5th December as new data shows that Brits plan to spend £6.2 billion at their local shops this month.

Research conducted by Opinium and commissioned by American Express found that seven in 10 plan to visit local shops in December, from speciality food shops to cafés to florists, with an average spend of £169.

While Covid-19 has caused many challenges, it has also boosted support for small shops. Seven in 10 respondents said that they appreciate local businesses more now than ever before. Four in 10 said the amount of their budget spent at local businesses has increased since March 2020, and of these, almost four in five plan to either maintain this spend or increase it in 2021.

Nearly half of those surveyed said they would shop at small businesses to support local jobs, while a further three in 10 said they want to see local shops succeed after working hard throughout the pandemic. More than four in five consider small businesses to be an essential part of their community.

“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,” said Dan Edelman, UK general manager of global merchant and network services at American Express.

“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,” he added.

Small Business Saturday is an important event in the calendars of small shops in the run-up to the holidays – and this year, the celebration of local businesses is even more significant.

But the benefits of Small Business Saturday extend beyond the one-day event, according to participants. Nic Till from Riverhead Coffee said Small Business Saturday has helped her business to gain “invaluable connections with other small businesses to share knowledge and ideas.”

Bala Croman, who runs The Chocolate Cellar agreed, saying, “Small Business Saturday means being part of a fabulous community who understand, applaud, and encourage each other with true respect and generosity.”

There is no doubt that 2020 has been a challenging year, but with more consumers getting behind the local shopping message, with any luck small retailers will head into 2021 on a stronger footing.

To get involved with Small Business Saturday, click here.