There's only a week left of a national campaign - Local Shop Hero - to identify members of the public who have supported local businesses the most through the lockdowns of the past year.
The nationwide campaign, by the shop local platform ShopAppy.com, is inviting local businesses around the UK to nominate individuals that have helped them since the pandemic began, and judges will be selecting the top 3 nominations at the end of May — and sending them a thank you gift on behalf of all local businesses. Whether it has been customers continuing to shop local or promoting the plight of local businesses, volunteering to deliver local goods or supporting them when they've reopened, local communities have provided a lifeline to local shops around the UK and helped boost their morale.
Dr Jackie Mulligan, Leader of the Local Shop Hero campaign, High Street Taskforce expert and Founder of ShopAppy, explains: “This is the first chance for high streets around the UK to thank the people that have helped pull them through the worst trading environment in generations, and for us to identify the country's top 3 Local Shop Heroes. Local businesses adapted to the pandemic to continue to support their communities during the many cruel months of the past year or so.
“However, many of our businesses have mentioned their faithful customers who have helped them through these dire months. We want to champion these individuals who, perhaps unknowingly, have changed the fate of many of these businesses."
For Delia Prudence, owner of The Art Room in Scarborough, the support has extended to receiving gifts: “I have missed our customers so much over the past year and they clearly missed us, as one of my most loyal customers popped in on reopening day in April with a bottle of Prosecco and that kind gesture meant so much to me.”
Nick Trott of Stillmans Butchers in Taunton also believes his customers have been a fantastic help: “Our customers and friends have kept supporting us throughout the past year and were really patient as we adapted to new ways of working during the various lockdowns.” Meanwhile, beauty spa owner Amanda Allen of Heavenly Sensations in Kirkcaldy provided pamper packages for her customers during lockdown as well as ‘buy now, enjoy later’ vouchers.
She has found that many customers have refused to redeem them, being more eager for her to use the cash to ensure her business stayed in business: “I have seen such kindness and that has made me feel happier and more confident about the future. That has really pulled me through the worst of it.”
The rise in positive sentiment towards local businesses was first identified in research commissioned by Visa in late 2020, which showed that over half of Brits surveyed (54%) say it’s important to them to shop locally because they know how much their custom means, while 43% say they get a boost of happiness when they support local shopkeepers. This quest for the nation’s top three local shop heroes will confirm that this positive sentiment is very much a “a two-way thing.” Dr Mulligan adds:
“As things start to return to some kind of normal, we hope local communities remember how important their support is to local businesses and most of all that shopping local is for life, not just for lockdown." Local businesses can nominate their shop local hero by visiting ShopAppy.com/local-shop-hero and completing the short nomination form.
Deadline for nomintions is May 28, with announcements on the top 3 national Local Shop Heroes in early June.