Support your local businesses and help them thrive for the long term benefit of the community. 

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Why spend locally?

 

• Boost the local economy

• Local independent shops can often sell quirky, one-off gifts

• Great, personal customer service from local trader

• Items shipped or sourced locally are more environmental sustainable

• Possibility to try before you buy

• Many local shops act as mini communities so by shopping local you are supporting /building communities.

• From a COVID-19 perspective it requires less traveling and therefore less risk.

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'Shop Southend-On-Sea' campaign

A new 'Shop Local, Shop Southend-on-Sea’ campaign has launched and will be running through to the end of the year. The aim is to highlight and promote the wealth of excellent local businesses our shopping districts have to offer and the more businesses that get involved, the better the results for all. If your business offers Click and Collect services, get in touch to be added to the latest list.​ 

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Get involved in the campaign:

1. Download and print off localised posters for display in your venue (below)

2. Share the shop local video to showcase what our town has on offer (below)

3. Use the #ShopLocal and #ShopSouthend whenever posting about events, offers and news from your business

4. Save and use digital assets for your social media accounts (below)

5. Like, comment or share #ShopLocal #ShopSouthend posts from the business community to create more buzz

 

​Read more on the 2020 campaign HERE.

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Totally Locally campaign

We believe that the future of independent high streets and retail areas is a combination of bricks and mortar businesses with a strong online presence.

 

As a stakeholder group we recently met with the Totally Locally founders who are an award winning not-for-profit organisation that has spread across the world. Their message over the past 11 years has been simple - support your local independent businesses and spend something with the small guys, keep tills ringing and towns thriving.

 

They’ve recently been developing the ‘Local Independent High Streets Online’ project. Town based websites that bring together their independent businesses, all in one place. Customers can buy product or services from multiple local businesses, choose click & collect or delivery and pay in one go at the checkout. This one stop shop allows people to discover more of their local independent businesses and the shop owner has the option of allowing them to click and collect their orders, select postal delivery or simply head to a business’s existing website to learn more about them.

 

This is where we need your help. If we get enough independent business from across Southend-on-Sea interested, they will set up a website for us which represents the vibrant independent scene across our borough. Each business will get a secure, bespoke online shop. Shoppers can choose to support their town by visiting, browsing and buying from multiple businesses in the place they live. It’s a virtual high street open 24 hours a day!

 

At this stage, we want to see who's interested, no commitment. So whether you are a product or service provider (or both) let us know if you'd like to find out more. Register your interest by completing this form and we'll be in touch.

 

You will need to be an independent business and have a registered business address in the Borough of Southend-on-Sea, namely SS0, SS1, SS2, SS3 and SS9.

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Register your interest.

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