Where will you shop during Independent Retailer month?

July is Independent Retailer Month, a global ‘shop local’ campaign, and we’re getting ready to show our appreciation for our brilliant British Independent retail businesses. I’m talking about the coffee shops, bookshops, clothing boutiques and jewellers, hardware stores, delis and other specialists – each doing their utmost to keep the high street alive. But the most deserved recognition goes to the generalist corner shops, typically working extended hours to save our bacon, as we dash towards the chiller cabinets conveniently brimming with emergency meats for our impromptu barbeque. We’ve all done it. If it’s not topping up bbq rations, it’s the sticky tape hunt on Christmas Eve.

So, Independents’ Day UK 2023, Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd July, is the ideal opportunity to drop by your local superheroes to thank them. With a particular focus on this weekend, we are all encouraged to plana visit to our local independents – giving that sector a much-needed boost.

Diverse Independent businesses equal thriving high streets

The benefits of diverse, small businesses operating within a thriving high street are well documented, with gains measured in terms of social value, community cohesion, and positive economic effects. I’ve worked with many Independent retailers as their point-of-purchase manufacturer and have always admired their aptitude for spinning multiple plates.

Unlike their national counterparts able to assign teams to manage specific operational functions, it’s usually the business owner taking the lion’s share of responsibility; dealing with daily admin, ordering stock, keeping an eye on the accounts, responding to customer enquiries and paying the utility bills – before they even get around to the front of house tasks such as merchandising and selling. That said, the contemporary Independent retailer collective couldn’t be further from the ‘Open-all-hours’ satirical portrayal, demonstrating the impetus to innovate and the motivation to modernise – including embracing digital platforms.

Independents embrace digital commerce

Giving Independents your support over July doesn’t mean you’ll have to ditch your browsing fix, as many more Indies are successfully blending their physical stores with an online shop. Research conducted by strategic insight agency Opinium, surveying 2,000 consumers and 100 independent UK retail leaders, uncovered positive findings:

The results showed that 66% of British Independent retailers who had embraced digital operations said their business was thriving, and 48% reported that embracing technology had increased their revenues—Source: Retail Insight Network.

The report also found that 58% of independent retailers rejected the idea that technology was a threat to their business, while 92% agreed that offering consumers the ability to browse goods online would enhance the shopping experience. Source: CISION

Shopping with Independent retailers – reasons to be cheerful

Beyond any philanthropic or community-minded intent, there are great reasons to support your local Independents this month. With just under 300,000 retailers in the UK and almost two-thirds of those operating as Independents, there’s easy access to unique benefits.

• Expert Advice and Service: Independent retailers are renowned for offering exceptional personal service, with a high level of expertise enabling them to answer technical enquiries, and many are willing to source nonstandard items for you

• Credit On Trust: It’s only your local Independent that will let you bring in the £10 you owe the following day, when you’ve not taken enough cash with you

• Experience: With original and sometimes quirky store layouts, you are rewarded with a novel shopping experience 

• Rewards Programme: Local Rewards is a team effort between local authorities, shopping centres, retailers and Maybe, forming part of the UK Government’s High Streets Task Force. It enables participating retailers to cross-promote and support their high street neighbours to create an online network of connected traders. The programme lets you earn rewards every time you shop within the high street (Source: Independents Day UK)

Impulse POP support Retail Independents

Impulse POP have supplied displays for Independents for over 50 years, specialising in bespoke solutions, from space saving rotating CTU spinners to compact merchandising units. As you’d expect, our staff are committing to shop only at our neighbouring Independents in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire over the weekend, so look out for photos showing our Impulse POP happy shoppers sharing some Indies love! Or talk to our instore POP experts here.