Why independent Liverpool businesses need people to shop local this Christmas

Owners of independent businesses in Liverpool are calling people to shop locally this Christmas to help stores and the local community.

A government-backed study shows that for every £10 spent at your local shop, £3.85 is recirculated back into the local economy. The report reveals that, by choosing to support local and independent businesses, online or in person, they can actually double the amount of money that stays in their local economy.

Alan Gordon, owner of The Bread Shop in Aigburth said: "The last year has been a really strange year for everyone in the independent scene in Liverpool, but we’re still here, we’re still fighting, we’re still alive. This Christmas, support your local shops or restaurants that have been here for a long time."

"If you don’t use them, you lose them. It’s been really tough but the ones that you really want to stay open, they need your money this Christmas."

"If people use my shop and spend money there, I can employ local staff, and I can buy products from other local businesses so that money stays in the area."

The cost of Christmas is up nearly a quarter in three years. This is according to analysis from the Centre for Economics & Business Research. After a few years of disruption from the pandemic, it seems that people will not let cost stop them from celebrating this year. However, the impact of inflation means that consumers are spending much more and ending up with less.

Vicky Gawith owns MerseyMade which stocks goods from 150 local suppliers. She knows how much supporting independents can help. She said: “We’ve been really lucky. The support we’ve had since we opened four years ago has been wonderful to see.”

According to a survey from YouGov, eight in ten Britons who celebrate Christmas (81%) find giving presents to be important.

• Watch the video above for our full feature on shopping local this Christmas.