Success for Independents Month

Tuesday, 3 August 2021 01:00

July was Independents Month, and to celebrate, local indies gave away 2,000 Salisbury shopping bags as residents showed their support for the city’s independent businesses.

The month-long campaign from Salisbury BID and Experience Salisbury aimed to champion Salisbury’s impressive indies and show how important it is to shop local, and has been hailed as a huge success

Salisbury BID funded the production of the stylish new Salisbury shopping bag, which were given away for free when shoppers spent over £20 in participating indie businesses.

Emily Adamson, co-owner of Clearway Pets in the Cross Keys Shopping Centre, said: “Independents Month was brilliant for us. It really made a difference to us as shoppers were spending extra to make sure they got one free.”

Photography by Ash Mills

Independents Month may have now ended but the need for local support continues, says Salisbury BID.

Dan Collins, Salisbury BID’s Business Manager said: “We have had a great response from local people during Indepenents Month but indies are for life, not just for July.

“Salisbury is still in a period of recovery due to the coronavirus pandemic and every penny spent within the local economy helps to protect our city centre. Let’s keep up the good work and please remember to shop local where possible.”

As previously reported by Love Salisbury, the city was recently named top bounce-back city in the UK by market research company Ipsos Mori. They found the city had the biggest recovery across the country since non-essential retail was allowed to reopen on 12th April.

Sarah Haydon, owner of Conker Boutique, said: “You have no idea how strongly we feel about our customers who have been loyal to us during lockdown and since lockdown has been lifted.

“We are so lucky to have customers who come back week after week and appreciate what we are trying to achieve here. We are in a lovely city and we need to keep it moving along. It’s great to see it buzzing again.”

There is a lot to be excited about in Salisbury this summer. Events like Salisbury City Council’s Faye On The Square and Taste Salisbury are looking to attract both locals and visitors whilst bringing a vibrancy to the city centre.

Find details of all the local events happening this summer on the Experience Salisbury website.