Following a successful inaugural year in 2022 Keep It Local Week returns in 2023 even bigger and better as we continue in our quest to transform the buying habits of a nation and make supporting local suppliers the number one factor when choosing where to buy from.
Is that ambitious? Of course it is. But we are going to keep driving home the message spurred on by the waves of enthusiasm since the launch of the campaign over two years ago. In that time we have witnessed countless letters to MPs asking questions about where government spend is going in relation to their commitment to supporting SMEs and calling upon government and MPs to use their position of authority to back their local businesses’ in their constituencies. The support is out there, but it is not enough yet and that will be a drum we will be beating louder and faster throughout this year – Keep It Local.
Make A Difference
Last year we introduced the 7-Day Challenge, can you imagine the impact if we could get millions of people up and down the country participating? If we all just, even for one day, paused before placing an order on Amazon and instead googled a local supplier, or popped down to our local high street. The reality is that huge numbers of us would actually enjoy the experience more, appreciating the feel-good factor that goes with knowing that you have helped a business that employs people from your community, providing an income to those that are more likely to spend their money within the local economy, boosting the wealth and welfare of your area. With that warm feeling, many of us will continue to choose to buy from a local source rather than the large multi-national stores. Because it makes a difference.
Get Out & About
That is just one step down the road to change. What if we all from time-to-time chose not to jump into our fuel guzzling cars to drive to an out of town supermarket chain, but instead visited the local town or village to buy meat from the butchers, bread from the bakers, fruit and vegetables from the greengrocer and all of our additional odds and sods from the local convenience store and hardware shops. Of course initially it may not seems as convenient, but it is society taking the easy (lazy) option that has led us to a global climate crisis and ripped the heart out of so many of our communities.
A trip down the high street will improve your well-being, meeting new folk, seeing familiar faces, stopping for a coffee (ideally the local independent shop) and boosting the environment you live in. Making our towns healthier and wealthier. Isn’t that worth a little bit of inconvenience?
Better Quality & Wider Choice
Here’s one you might not have considered before, but, the chances are you are buying better quality goods when you order from a local supplier. Or at least the risk of buying sub-standard goods is minimised. Who is going to sell you sub-standard products if they know they are delivering just around the corner and an unhappy customer could easily turn up at the doorstep to complain or make a scene? Nobody. A local business will pride itself on providing quality goods and services, over and above mass distribution.
Though large retailers and big-box companies offer a wide selection; the variety is decided by small groups of corporate buyers. When you think about it, real choice actually comes from dozens of independent businesses tailoring their goods and services to their unique community needs. Buying local and supporting local, keeps these options viable.
Keep It Local Week begins on Monday 15th May, but the message begins NOW. Together we can make a difference. Together we can Keep It Local. To find out more about how you can get involved in our campaign, contact us today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.