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Cumbria Times
A Voice of the Free Press
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Jan Harris
Deputy Group Editor
7:00 AM 1st December 2020
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Shop Local This Christmas

 
Taking place on the first Saturday of December which in 2020 is Saturday 5 December, Small Business Saturday celebrates the huge contribution that small businesses make to the British economy and their local communities.

Created by American Express, the first Small Business Saturday started in the US back in 2010, at a time when the world was recovering from the financial crisis. After seeing the success of the American Small Business Saturday, the UK adopted their own version in 2013.

Small Business Saturday is now in its eighth year in the UK and has grown to become a key calendar moment in the US, UK and Australia.

Small Business Saturday is now thought to be one of the busiest weekends of the year, along with Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It is the first Saturday in the UK after payday for most people and so encourages everyone to start their Christmas shopping.

photo by Tim Mossholder - Unsplash
photo by Tim Mossholder - Unsplash
Last year’s Shop Small national campaign created by American Express was a huge success showcasing and celebrating small businesses from all over the UK in the lead up to Small Business Saturday.

Customers last year spent an estimated £800m with UK small businesses on Small Business Saturday, with a record turnout of 17.6 million people choosing to shop small on the day.

So with Christmas fast approaching and the coronavirus pandemic threatening closure of shops, why don't we support our small businesses by shopping locally in the streets and markets of our villages, towns and cities otherwise our local high street might disappear forever.

Let us support the 5.6 million small businesses across the country on Small Business Saturday and keep our local high street alive.