Independents’ Day UK asks consumers to ‘pledge a few pounds’ to small shops

The campaign’s organisers are asking consumers to “pledge a few pounds” to independent retailers aross the weekend.

Howard Robinson, a spokesperson for Independents’ Day UK, said: “The British independent retail sector has shown real resilience in the face of the Covid crisis across the last year, operating through extreme uncertainty and putting on a brave face for their customers and wider communities.

“We are asking the public to show their thanks by simply heading out across the weekend of 3-4 July and spending a few pounds at independent or locally-owned retailers.”

Independents’ Day UK is supported by and works closely with, among others, the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), the Independent Retail Consortium, and the Association of Town and City Management.

Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of Bira, said: “Independents Day will soon be with us again – this time better and over a whole weekend. This year is probably the most important year for indie retail, as businesses look to rebuild following the pandemic.

“The money spent in local, independent shops makes a real difference to business owners and the local economy, so it would be great if the general public could support this campaign and spend at independents.”

The campaign team estimates that more than 8,500 small shops across the UK engaged with the campaign last year and is hoping that figure will reach at least 20,000 this year. Around 100 different town management teams, business improvement districts (BIDs), chambers of commerce, and local business groups across the country participated in initiatives to promote the day.