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SMALL UK BUSINESSES HOPING FOR A SHARE OF POTENTIAL £20.4 BILLION CHRISTMAS
SPEND

29 November 2024, 06:00 AM
Christmas

 * According to new data, the average UK household will spend £757 on seasonal
   celebrations, with one fifth earmarked for small businesses

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Research from the Small Business Saturday campaign has found more than £20
billion could be spent by British consumers in the lead up to Christmas this
year, with independents preparing to target a fifth of this figure – equating to
approximately £4.4 billion.

This would deliver, it says, a critical boost to the nation’s 5.5 million small
businesses as they tackle extended economic difficulties. 

The ‘peak’ Christmas shopping season began on Black Friday (29th November),
continuing on Cyber Monday (2nd December), with the Small Business Saturday
campaign taking place from 7th December – a clarion call for the public to get
out and spend with smaller retailers to ensure their survival.

“Public support is absolutely vital for small businesses across the UK, with
many still fighting to recover from the cost-of-living crisis and deal with
continued challenges like high costs and flat growth,” said Michelle Ovens CBE,
director of Small Business Saturday UK. 

“With a major festive spending pot up for grabs this year, there is huge
opportunity out there for small businesses. And it is really encouraging to see
such positive public sentiment. We need this to continue as it really will make
all the difference to helping small firms across the UK stay in business and
keep delivering their incredible value across our economy, society and local
communities.”

The new research found women tend to control Christmas spending, with 60% being
in charge of the household budget. Of those asked, 26% said they intended to
spend more on Christmas this year.

Encouragingly, public support for small businesses is already riding high with
four in five people (86%) thinking it is important to support small businesses
and two thirds (66%) spending on goods or services with small firms multiple
times a month.

Dan Edelman, general manager of UK Merchant Services at American Express, which
is helping Small Business Saturday, said, “With the festive period fast
approaching, it’s heartening that public support for small businesses remains
strong. Small Business Saturday is a campaign which remains as important now as
when it first began. That’s why American Express is proud to champion the
nation’s much-loved independent businesses as principal supporter, encouraging
the nation to shop small.”

As well as encouraging the public to make a conscious effort to spend with small
firms across the festive season and beyond, campaign organisers also suggest
supporting favourite independents in other ways, such as leaving positive
reviews or spreading the word amongst friends and family.


HOW TO ATTRACT SHOPPERS TO YOUR INDEPENDENT BUSINESS THIS CHRISTMAS

1. Ramp up your efforts on social media across all platforms. Quality, not
quantity, matters. Brainstorm with the team and come up with content you feel
will really showcase what you have to offer. Have fun with it. Be engaging, make
shoppers want to get into the festive spirit with you.

2. Dazzle with your window display. Don’t underestimate the power of using your
windows as a selling tool. They’re an eye into your shop, and the first thing
potential shoppers will see. Be bold in your design, and use as many ambient
goods as you can from your Christmas range within your window display to reflect
just what’s on offer. Continental sweets and baked goods like panettone,
stollen, lebkuchen, glace fruits and chocolate-covered nuts are all winners. And
nostalgia is huge this year. Maximise your displays and showcase your range of
traditional goods that evoke a sense of comfort and yesterday, from tins of
toffees, to shortbread biscuits and fruit cakes.

3. Tastings work wonders. But don’t limit them to the counter. If space (and
local council regulations) allows, set up a mini stall outside, inviting
would-be customers to try some of your biggest hits - be it a sliver of cheese
and chutney on a cracker, pieces of cake, or nibbles of biscuits and chocolate.
Mini paper cups of warm spiced apple juice given away alongside will bring over
cold shoppers, and create a sense of goodwill. Walking tastings, sending
festively dressed staff with trays of delights out onto the high street, are a
nice idea too.

4. Ensure your staff are clued up on everything Christmas, from opening and
closing days and times, to hampers, deliveries, and seasonal stock. Service
really is king in independent retail, playing a massive part in return visits
and word-of-mouth recommendations. Make sure you and the team go out of your way
to demonstrate your expertise, while being as welcoming as possible.

5. Well publicised ad hoc events in these few weeks to Christmas are a fantastic
way to encourage engagement, show off your festive wares, and create a buzz.
Hits this year have included unique cheese and wine pairings, crisp and drink
pairings, and mocktail parties.



 

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