Shoppers in Bath’s independents will be winners this weekend as more than 200 free gifts will be handed out to lucky customers as shops celebrate Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is all about encouraging people to shop locally and support small businesses in their community, and it is a campaign which the Government Business Secretary, Vince Cable, singled out for support on his recent visit to the City.
He said: “Research shows that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-sized business 63p stays in the local economy, compared to just 40p with a larger business, so the benefit is clear.
“It’s great to see small shops in Bath working together to support Small Business Saturday.”
Steve Bradley, LibDem candidate to be Bath’s next MP, took the Business Secretary to meet the staff at one of the participating shops, Not Just Pets in St James Parade.
He commented: “It’s one of Bath’s many strengths that shopping here is not dominated by chain stores and that the city has a wealth of successful independent shops.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of Britain’s economy and that’s why I’m working closely with business owners to understand their needs and how I can make Bath even better for them.”
This is the second national Small Business Saturday, last year £460 million was spent with small businesses on the day, and organisers expect to see an increase this year.
Here in Bath, shop owners have added an extra incentive by uniting to run a special cross-promotion so that some paying customers will receive a surprise gift from one of the other participating stores.
Janine Tozer owner of Not Just Pets added: “We were delighted that Vince Cable chose to visit us and took such an interest in our business, and it’s great that he’s supporting Small Business Saturday.
“We hope shoppers will support small, local traders on the day, throughout the Christmas period and beyond.”
