Chichester MP encourages people to shop local this Small Business Saturday

The Member of Parliament for Chichester, Gillian Keegan, has marked Small Business Saturday with an appeal to shop local this Christmas.

Speaking on a visit to The Barn, Little London, Mrs Keegan said: “Businesses like The Barn are what make Chichester so special, representing our area’s unique entrepreneurial spirit and resilience over what has been a challenging few years.”

“As we enter the run up to Christmas, I would encourage everyone in Chichester to think about what they can do to shop and eat locally to a support a small business. This could mean buying some of your Christmas presents at places like Draper’s Yard or Bosham Walk, or popping into your local independent pub or restaurant like La Banca in Selsey with friends and family.”

Small businesses make up over 99% of all UK business and account for over half of business turnover and employment nationally.

Since its inception in 2013, the Small Business Saturday campaign has engaged millions of people, with consumer spending with small businesses on the Saturday alone having topped over £1 billion in recent years.

Emma Schwarz, owner of The Barn, Little London, said: “Small businesses are essential to the High Street, not only for the obvious reasons of local employment and to make sure our High Streets are not homogenised with only big corporate brands. Because small businesses often create ‘soul’ for city and town centres, they also strengthen communities and this vibrancy generates a feeling of wellbeing for everyone.”

A recent campaign from the Chichester Business Improvement District (BID) called ‘Proudly Independent. Proudly Chichester.’ has also aimed to raise awareness of the variety of businesses in and around Chichester and the importance of shopping small.

Earlier this month Chancellor Jeremy Hunt made several announcements in his Autumn Statement aimed at supporting small business. These included freezing the small business multiplier for a fourth year in a row, as well as an extension to the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure relief scheme. The Treasury estimates that this will save the average independent pub nearly £13,000 next year.