New data from Paymentsense has revealed that consumers plan to rally behind small traders in the final run up to Christmas. The study of 1,000 UK consumers shows that over half will support small businesses with their custom in the coming days and over a third are doing so because they’re concerned about the decline of the high street.
More than 28% plan to shop in small businesses regardless of location, and over 23% will do so locally. Over a third (35%) of consumers said they are supporting local retailers, coffee shops, restaurants and other businesses over the Christmas period because they’re concerned about the decline of the high street – showing that national and regional campaigns promoting local businesses are starting to have an influence.
Others believe that small businesses are an important part of the community (31%), while over a quarter said they support their local businesses all year round – not just at Christmas. Nearly a fifth of respondents said they knew many of their local business owners and wanted to support them during important trading times.
From a regional perspective, 58% of those in Bristol and 56% of Londoners indicated they will supporting small businesses over Christmas, locally or otherwise. Almost half (49%) of respondents from Manchester fell into this category, while slightly fewer people from Birmingham said they would shop at SMEs over the festive period (31%).
The research also found that those with higher incomes are more likely to support small businesses in the run up to Christmas. Consumers are less concerned by slower service or higher prices when they shop locally. The study found that one in four (38%) overlook these issues if the business is near their home.
