An ‘overwhelming’ amount of shoppers plan to spread festive joy to small businesses this Christmas, new research shows.
A survey from gift wholesaler Sass & Belle reveals 97% of shoppers are making an ‘extra effort’ to buy presents from small/independent businesses this year.
Almost two-thirds of shoppers (65%) will also be making more of a conscious effort to buy gifts that are eco-friendly – while over a half (56%) would love to receive something that’s better for the environment.
When it comes to budget this Christmas, one in ten (11%) said they’ll be splurging more on gifts for family and friends, while 43% said they’ll be spending less. 46% of respondents said they’ll be spending about the same as usual.
Sass & Belle founder Richard Stone said: “This year has been tough for everyone, and while many of us will understandably be tightening our belts this year, there seems to be an overwhelming desire by the general public to make that extra effort and shop with small, independent businesses – with many on the hunt for sustainable gift ideas.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, so it’s really heartwarming to read these figures; the hope is that – with the rollout of the vaccine now underway – we can begin to resume some sort of normality over the coming months and minimise any further losses to the high street and beyond.”
The survey asked more than 1,000 shoppers about their Christmas shopping habits in 2020. More than a quarter of gift-givers (27%) said they’d be keen to buy cruelty-free presents this year, while 8% said they’ll be buying second-hand items.
Shopper Teagan Frawley, from London, said: “After the tough year we’ve all had it’s small businesses that have been hit the hardest. It’s more important than ever that we support small business owners so they’re able to put food on their table.
“I’ve been buying many handmade products such as bath products and jewellery; I love shopping small for all the love that goes into the packaging, such as the beautiful wrapping, little hand-written notes and free sweets!”
December 5 saw the UK celebrating its eighth annual Small Business Saturday – a grassroots campaign which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to shop at local independents.
Research reveals that spend on Small Business Saturday hit £1.1 billion, the highest ever recorded figure, with 15.4 million people hitting the high street and shopping small.
There were around 5.94 million small businesses in the UK, at the start of 2020, making up 99.3% of all businesses. A recent survey found that 23% of SMEs believe they are at risk of permanently closing in the next few months.
