Shopping Small This Festive Season

As the Christmas spirit starts to manifest, here’s how to support independent creatives and small businesses – and reap the many benefits on offer

- Sadia Nowshin

No matter what your personal thoughts are about when festive preparations should begin, there’s no escaping the rapidly approaching jingling of bells, twinkling of lights and defrosting of Michael Bublé. Maybe you’ve started already, determined to finally learn from the last-minute rush of past years. Or perhaps writing your requests for Santa is a task reserved for a good few weeks from now. Regardless of when your shopping will start, this year small businesses are in need of your support.

Thanks to the pandemic, 61 per cent of owners have been seriously worried about their financial situation, and it’s been forecast that it’ll cost them double the initial predictions, according to a Simply Business report. Although two-thirds saw their revenues decrease, Goldman Sachs research showed 99 per cent said they would survive and are now open for business again. There are a whole host of benefits to be enjoyed when shopping small – for you, your loved ones and even the planet.

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