Merton Council is following in the footsteps of a big initiative from the USA to encourage people to shop at local independent enterprises.
The Leader of the Council is encouraging local small businesses to be part of Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday has been a feature of the American people’s shopping experience since 2010 and takes place on the first Saturday after their Thanksgiving. This is the first year when it will be celebrated in this country.
The UK version of Small Business Saturday is set for 7 December which according to retail experts is one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, said: “Local high streets and small businesses are a hub for our communities and research shows that every £1 spent with a local small business means that 63p is re-spent locally. I would encourage everyone to shop in our small businesses during the festive season, particularly on Small Business Saturday. As well as providing good service and value, our local small businesses are a lovely place to shop and offer great variety.”
As part of the initiative Merton Council is supporting efforts by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) to raise the profile of the day in question and Cllr Alambritis has visited FSB members in the borough as a result. Cllr Alambritis, a former business leader with the FSB, will also be serving shoppers at a number of small firms dotted around the borough throughout the day and will listen to customer feedback about their shopping experience in the area.
Cllr Alambritis added, “We really want to set our town centres buzzing with activity on this and on other days leading up to Christmas. That is why we will once again be giving the gift of free parking this Christmas in our council-managed car parks across the borough. We are also having events in each of our town centres in the run up to the festive season.”
Notes to Editors
Cllr Alambritis will be serving the public in the following businesses on Saturday 7 December:
• Rosy Lea Café, Morden at 8am-10am
• Coffee in the Wood, Colliers Wood at 11am-1pm
• Braiburn Motors, Mitcham at 2pm-4pm
• Whistle Stop Fish and Chips, Raynes Park at 5pm-7pm
• Chutneys Restaurant, Wimbledon at 8pm-10pm
To find out more about the FSB’s involvement and about Small Business Saturday in Merton, visit www.merton.gov.uk/businessevents-2