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Get your free copy“We want to encourage people to shop locally rather than visit outlets in Cambridge and the other bigger towns nearby,” says town clerk, Malcolm White. “With local stores it’s a case of use them or lose them, so it’s really important local residents realise they have a wide variety of shops on their doorsteps.
“We want the campaign to be an ongoing thing throughout the year and have received a lot of support from the town’s retailers. We’ve been advertising through the local press and have put posters up to raise awareness.”
Chris Chisnall, owner of local delicatessen, Chisnalls, thinks the campaign is a fantastic opportunity to boost trade. “Shop Local is a very good idea. I’ve been a retailer in Saffron Walden for 39 years and people don’t use the town’s shops as much as they used to, so it’s a way to get people interested again.
“Since the start of the campaign we have seen more people walking through our door. Now the challenge is to keep them interested and show we are supporting the local community. However, we have to work at it – we have no God-given right to customers. For this reason we have to understand what sort of services and products local shoppers want from us.”