Campaign relaunch for local shopping

Nationally the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has relit its Keep Trade Local campaign and will be supporting Local Business Week from Monday (May 13).

Business Monthly understands talks are underway to give the Keep Trade Local campaign a big push in Dunstable. Charles Smith, the FSB’s regional chairman for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire, said: “Independent shops often provide a better quality product, it may well have been sourced from a local farm and in many cases won’t have travelled far to reach the shop.

“We hope that this has a positive effect on the other independent retailers on the high street so that the greengrocer and baker also benefits.

“Shopping locally not only supports the shops on the high street, but the farmer or manufacturer down the road too and it puts the money spent back into the local economy.”

The FSB says research indicates every £1 spent with a local supplier is worth £1.76 to the local economy.

Local Business Week organiser Simon Cliffe says: “We share the same vision as FSB, and we’re urging all shoppers to ‘take the pledge’ and buy local.” Local Business Week on Twitter @LocalBizWeek or www.localbusinessweek.co.uk