Community over Convenience: Save Small Business this Christmas!
“One person's non-essential is another's livelihood.” Rosie Johnson, Illustrator.
As non-essential retail remains open in all tiers we see our favourite local independent stores open once again on our high streets. In addition, the creative markets also make their return around the UK, although all with significant safety restrictions applied. The government's announcements to allow 24/7 shop opening over the Christmas period, which is great for convenience, is another blow for small businesses that just can’t compete with this kind of availability.
The ‘Shop Small’ campaign has been echoed this year more than most, but we want to see community over convenience and quality over speed.
As a customer, being a little more organised enables us to shop from small businesses and avoid using the retail giants. In order to stay competitive, thousands of independent small businesses have enhanced their online presence, re-imagined their business models and tweaked their marketing in order to keep active and in business. Surely it is our duty, as customers, to help out those businesses within our communities and country to enable them to survive into 2021 and beyond.
At Pedddle, we want to encourage more people to ‘shop small’ this Christmas and consider these smaller businesses as the first port of call when shopping. Whether it is shopping in-person or online, you are supporting them.
Take a look at some of the events you can find on Pedddle.com both online and in person:
Folksy Christmas Market - 5th -6th December (online)
Modern Makers Market Online - 5th-6th December
Green Rooms Market, London - 4th-6th December (Botanical)
Rushden Lakes Christmas Handmade and Vintage Pop-Up Event, Northamptonshire - 5th/6th & 12th/13th December
Atworth Artisan Market, Wiltshire - 6th December
Haddon Hall Winter Mercatum, Derbyshire - 11th-14th December
Pexmas, london - 12th/13th & 19th/20th December
Christmas Online Market Week - 12th-20th December
Assembly Market Slow Christmas, London- 12th/13th & 19th/20th December (sustainable/ethical)
The Pop-up Club in Seven Dials, London - Running now until 24th December