Campaign urges shoppers to look local this Christmas

"In Warwickshire, we are blessed with so many independent retailers who provide such a high level of service, quality and value, and Christmas is a crucial time for them."

A social media campaign to encourage Warwickshire’s residents to shop locally and support independent retailers this Christmas returns this year – including an endorsement from Father Christmas himself!

Warwickshire County Council has launched the Warwickshire Christmas campaign to shine a light on the brilliant businesses in the county’s towns and village and also make people think twice before doing all their Christmas shopping online.

Businesses, organisations and local authorities are getting behind the campaign across social media with the hashtag #WarwickshireChristmas.

Father Christmas is also supporting the campaign by featuring in a video showcasing some of the businesses around Warwickshire and their Christmas offerings.

“With Christmas lights shining, yuletide activities galore, and plenty of independent businesses selling their wares, it’s the perfect time to get out and about in our towns and spend local this Christmas.

“It’s easy to get the perfect Christmas gift for your loved ones here in Warwickshire. Whether you are looking for a beautifully hand-crafted ornament, a fabulous item of jewellery, or a delicious treat from the many fantastic food businesses, it’s all right on your doorstep.”

Father Christmas, Warwickshire Christmas video.

You can watch the video below:

The new campaign follows a similar support drive last year as businesses were dealing with Covid, which reached more than 70,000 people across social media.

It also tied in with Small Business Saturday on December 3, a day that encouraged residents to shop locally with independent stores in the run up to Christmas.

Cllr Martin Watson, Portfolio Holder for Economy at Warwickshire County Council, said: “With pressures on household finances being incredibly high this year, many residents will be thinking very carefully about where they buy their Christmas gifts from.

"In Warwickshire, we are blessed with so many independent retailers who provide such a high level of service, quality and value, and Christmas is a crucial time for them. The increase in the cost-of-living has put a strain on many independent businesses, so we want to highlight as many as possible through our Warwickshire Christmas campaign and create a buzz around the county. So it’s fantastic to be launching this campaign and for Father Christmas to help us out too.

“We would urge people to get out into their local towns and support these businesses who are the lifeblood of our high streets by buying some of their Christmas gifts locally. And we’d also love it if residents shared their favourite businesses online with the hashtag #WarwickshireChristmas across social media – it all makes a difference.”

To follow the Warwickshire Christmas campaign, visit @WarksTN on Instagram or like Warwickshire Towns Network on Facebook and follow the hashtag #WarwickshireChristmas.