By Andrew Brown, co-owner, Stand Up For Southport
Photo by Kezia Griffiths @keziagriffithsphotography
Christmas Day is nearly here – but when you look at the presents under your tree, where have they all come from?
In percentage terms, how many have been sourced from local businesses?
We are spoiled for choice here in Southport.
Despite changes in retail habits in recent years, we can still enjoy a wide array of shops in Southport town centre, and also in suburban villages such as Birkdale, Churchtown, Ainsdale, High Park and Crossens.
Lots of local independent traders have also been selling craft goods from the Makers Markets outside Southport Market or inside Wayfarers Arcade, or from the Christmas Markets on Market Street.
Lots of restaurants and bars offer vouchers which make great presents for people eating out or enjoying nights out.
Southport BID offers its Southport Gift Card, which can be spent in more than 85 local businesses in our town.
Southport Football Club is selling merchandise and half season tickets, great Christmas presents for its increasingly young fanbase.
There are superb events happening in Southport in 2022, including Southport Flower Show, Southport Air Show, Southport Comedy Festival, UB40 at Victoria Park, the Lookalike Tribute Festival and more, with tickets and event packages also a great idea.
It’s not too late to buy those last minute Christmas presents locally!
There are lots of reasons to shop in Southport this Christmas too, with fun festive events including the Southport Gingerbread Trail, the first ever Digital Winter Wonderland, the brilliant Trail of Lights at Victoria Park, Christmas movies at Bijou Cinema and inside Southport Market.
Read More: Christmas shopping in Southport: Last chance to enjoy these 13 magical festive events
Southport BID and IllumiDex UK Ltd have completed their stunning ‘boulevard of light’ with 300,000 lights along both sides of Lord Street making this historic shopping and dining boulevard sparkle this winter.
Over the past few weeks we have been busy promoting these events and more through Stand Up For Southport, to encourage both local residents and visitors to enjoy their Christmas shopping in our wonderful town. We have also given shout outs to local businesses to promote what they have to offer. There are many good reasons for doing so.
It makes sense to buy from the local gift shop; the neighbour selling hand-made goods online or at markets; the local craftsperson who makes their own jewellery; your friends who run a shop; neighbours who run a restaurant; the local artisan experts who create their own chocolates or bake their own cakes; the business owners who run a salon near you.
There are so many great places locally to spend your money, over buying online from the other side of the world or traipsing out to an out-of-town retail park to spend money with a big multinational company.
Spending online doesn’t just mean spending global.
This morning I placed an online Southport trader, Odonata Crystals, whose founder, resin artist Clare Colman, often sells her goods at the monthly Southport Makers Market.
Clare replied to my email within minutes, with news that the order would be hand delivered this afternoon. She certainly beats Amazon for quality of product, quality of service and speed of delivery! It’s one example of how smaller can often be better.
Southport has been enjoying something of a renaissance this year. We have seen new shops, new restaurants, new bars, even a new department store in Beales, and a new Southport Market food, drink and events venue.
But some empty units still remain.
And due to the Covid pandemic and a series of lockdowns, the many superb shops, bars, restaurants, hotels and other businesses we have here have faced huge and unsettling challenges over these past few months. The future remains uncertain. They need and deserve our support.
How good would you like Southport to be? How busy? How prosperous?
It’s up to all of us to make that change. Only we can make it happen.
We just need to start by looking underneath our Christmas tree and asking ourselves – where did we buy all our Christmas presents from this year?
#StandUpForSouthport #Southport #ShopLocal #EatLocal #ChooseLocal
Do you have a story for Stand Up For Southport? Please message Andrew Brown via Facebook here or email me at: mediaandrewbrown@gmail.com
