Liberal Democrat call for Oldham Borough to support Small Business Saturday
This Christmas, Liberal Democrat councillors are once more calling on local residents to support their local retailers on Small Business Saturday (4 December).
Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, explained why:
“Local shops, cafes and pubs are the lifeblood of our high street; without them our district centres would be ghost towns. Every pound spent with a local retailer is a pound that goes into our local economy. It supports local business owners, helps support local jobs and sustains local suppliers, instead of going into the back-pocket of a multi-billionaire with enough money to go space travelling!”
Small Business Saturday was first started in the United States in 2010 to highlight the criticality of shoppers spending with independent small businesses, rather than big chains. The campaign is now in its ninth year in the UK, with an estimated 15.4 million people choosing to spend a record £1.1 billion with small businesses last year.
“Whilst we would encourage everyone to go out and shop local this Saturday, developing the habit of local shopping should be a year-round pursuit and not just a Christmas thing”, added councillor Sykes.
“For those who are environmentally conscious, it also has the added benefit that food and other goods purchased are often locally sourced, meaning less food and travel miles bringing them to you, and by increasing local spending we are more likely to see a growth in bespoke local shops providing specialist goods.”
“This is why in Shaw and Crompton we have been campaigning for the establishment of an artisan market, something original that would bring in more shoppers to our district.”