Indie retailers set for festive boost as Brits show support
Brits are set to spend £6.5 billion at independent retailers this Christmas, according to research from Direct Line – Business.
The company surveyed 2,001 people and also found that they anticipate buying 29% of their Christmas gifts from indies this year
48% said they wanted to help these businesses survive the Covid-19 pandemic. Brits also like the products and services on offer.
Compared with major chains, 41% said the quality of goods from independents is superior. And 57% agreed that less generic, more unusual items are best found at smaller players.
57%, meanwhile, agreed that customer service is often better than the major chains, while 48% felt Indies took sustainability more seriously than large corporations.
Jemma Holloway, Head of SME Trading at Direct Line - Business, says: “This year has been turbulent to say the least for small independent retailers. It’s so great to see that consumers want to support local businesses by shopping with them this Christmas.”
