Independents’ Day UK has launched its 2020 initiative to support and promote independent retailers across the UK.
The campaigns organisers have announced that this years initiative will go ahead as planned, in light of government guidelines that will allow non-essential retail to re-open on the 15th June. This will provide the sector a ‘unique opportunity to celebrate the value of independent retailers’ at a ‘critical time’ for the industry.
They will call upon shoppers to ‘Pledge a Pound’ to an independent retailer on Independents’ Day itself, Saturday 4th July. Retailers will be able to download an Independents’ Day logo to display in shops, direct from the campaigns website. Click Here
Howard Robinson, a spokesperson for the campaign says:
“Hundreds of thousands of small retailers will re-open their doors just in time for this year’s Independents’ Day and we’re calling on shoppers to pledge at least one pound’s worth of shopping to an indie on July 4th.
“Whether it’s a morning paper or a pint of milk – if all of us go out of our way to support our local shops, we can make a huge difference to a sector that has been hit hard by the Covid-19 lockdown. Independents bring colour, choice and character to our high streets, they provide jobs and invaluable services to communities – and now more than ever, it really is a case of use them, or lose them.”
NFRN’s Chief Operating Officer, Greg Deacon added:
“Independent retailers around the country have shown remarkable levels of innovation over the past few months to keep their businesses going and in many cases to keep serving their customers in new and different ways. Whilst we can all applaud that, Independents’ Day gives us an ideal chance to celebrate small retailers and support them as they bring their bricks and mortar shops back to the heart of their communities.”
Mark Walmslet, Chair of the Independent Retailers’ Confederation, a group of trade organisations representing different independent retail sectors across the UK, said:
“This has been a profoundly challenging period for small shop owners and whilst the independent retail community is relieved to be greeting customers face to face again, now the real challenges begin. Independents’ Day 2020 provides a perfect opportunity for local communities to rally round and support the small independent shops they tell us they value so much.”
In April, research carried out on independent retailers by the British Independent Retailer Association warned that one third of retailers may struggle to reopen after the Coronavirus lockdown, after facing delays in government finance. However, shopper comparison site finder.com reported that during the lockdown 41% of people had been shopping in independent stores more regularly, with 36% saying they planned to continue using their local shop more often even after lockdown.
For more information about Independents’ Day UK, visit: https://www.independentsdayuk.org/
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