Almost a third of the British public start their Christmas shopping on Black Friday, the 26th November, a day that is usually full of flash sales and huge discounts from large companies. This year, Holly & Co have launched the exciting Colour Friday as an alternative to urge the British public to support small businesses and vote with our money!
Did you know that if we each bought just 1 Christmas gift from an independent business, we would relocate over £2.7 billion to our local communities! We think this is a fantastic way to keep our colourful, independent high streets alive. During the pandemic, we saw a huge increase in people supporting small and independent businesses, but with Christmas drawing closer, many people have seen this support fade. As exciting as the festive period is for small business owners, it can also come with a lot of worries. Independent businesses are not able to compete with the huge discounts and deals on offer from large conglomerates, meaning many of our customers often go elsewhere for their gift shopping. If you love what a small business does, show them that you support them! We've shared some ways you can show your support for your favourite independent businesses over in this blog post (and most of them are totally free!)
So, what are the benefits to shopping with independent retailers? The value our local, independent traders add to our communities and our local economies has been proven. Stats show that for every £1 spent with a local, independent business, between 50p-70p circulates back into that local economy, rather than landing into the pockets of large corporations who don't often have communities best interests at heart. Not only that, but, since 1990, big businesses eliminated around 4 million jobs, while small businesses added at least 8 million jobs, providing opportunities within local communities. It is also noteworthy that local retailers reinvest 130% more of their revenues than large-scale chain retailers! So, it's easy to see the positive impact shopping small will have on your local economy, which means you will be positively impacting the people you live and work with. Buying from local, independent businesses like shops, cafes, salons, restaurants, market traders or anything else means we each are doing our bit to keep our local high street, town or village centre open for business. It really is a case of 'use it or lose it.'
We want to thank each and every one of our customers who have chosen to support independent by shopping with us. We think you are all fantastic and the change you have made by choosing an independent business over a chain is very real and very humbling. As a small business, we care immensely about everything we do, everyone we work with and the impact we are having on local communities all over the world. So thank you for helping us make the world a more unique, colourful and ethical place! Be sure to support Colour Friday this Friday 26th November and share the small business love.
Header illustration by Rebecca Strickson