Love Coleshill

We will shortly be introducing our new Loyalty Cards!  Participating shops and businesses will have full details by the start of May.

Each participating business is a member of the Love Coleshill Consortium and they will be easily identified by a window sticker:

Take a look at the Herald if you don’t believe me!  Tom from Oscars Dry Cleaners and Kim, Chairperson of Love Coleshill Committee are on the front page – thanks Herald!

We hope that everyone will benefit, and our aim is to encourage people to shop, eat and stay in Coleshill so please share our enthusiasm and sign up for the Free Loyalty card – and make the most of the many special offers from Consortium members.

If you are a local business and you wish to join our loyalty card scheme please contact me, Marie Stephenson on 07985 724842 or email me: marie@the-marketeer.co.uk

New Bumper Stickers and Shopping Bags

We shall shortly be launching our new Love Coleshill Shopping Bags and Car Bumper Stickers

Our first newsletter is out!  If you are not on our mailing list or cannot get to the shops – download it here: Love Coleshill Spring Newsletter 2012

Read all the latest news and if you don’t receive this automatically: join our mailing list!  email: marie@the-marketeer.co.uk

We would like to thank all the local schools for distributing this for us – it makes a huge difference to our campaign and we are really grateful!  Thanks!!

1. Local shops sell a wide range of great products at affordable prices

Many people get out of the habit of shopping locally & are then surprised by the range of products and gifts available.

2. Shopping local saves you money – travel and parking costs etc

Out of town shops have done a good job of convincing us all that sole traders = expensive, but the evidence just isn’t there to back this up.  If you add in travel, parking costs, fees to transport larger items home and your time, the overall cost is often much higher.

3. Shopping locally retains our communities

People don’t like losing shops and services in small towns and villages but don’t equate this to how they spend their money.  Shops will only survive if customers spend locally – so if you want a vibrant town centre, where people can socialise as well as shop, shop locally.

4. Shopping local retains our distinctiveness – no clone towns allowed!  Many town centres in Britain look the same with franchises and multinationals.  Independent shops create distinctive shopping experiences and stock different products.
Independent shops keep traditional local products alive. They respond more quickly to the needs of local customers, stocking products to meet the changing population needs. They can also be more innovative…….organic products were first developed by independent traders.

5. Shopping local saves the environment

We are all aware of CO2 emissions and our environmental impact.  Local shops, which often stock a high percentage of locally sourced goods and products and do not require long car & bus journeys to get to, thus shopping locally helps to reduce our global footprint.

6. Shopping local creates jobs

Shops in our town centres and villages create local employment and self employment.  These people in turn spend in the local economy. Over half a million people are employed in retail in our rural towns and villages. Evidence shows that for every £10 spent in an independent shop £25 is generated for the local economy compared to £14 spent in multinationals.

7. Local independent shops invest more in our communities

Sole traders and independent stores are proportionally more generous in their support for local charities, carnivals, schools and community events.  So supporting local shops means a financial return for our community

8. Local shops are for everyone

Most people can get to their local shops easily and this is especially important for elderly, vulnerable and young people and those without transport.  Keeping your shops open by buying locally helps the whole community.

9. Local shops value you more

Evidence from numerous surveys shows people receive better customer care and service in local shops.  Traders survive by their reputation and repeat business – so shopping local means that you get a higher standard of service.

10. Shopping local saves services

Private, voluntary and public sector services cluster around shops. The loss of the high street often corresponds to a reduction in these services.  As shops disappear, so do hairdressers, vets, dentists etc.

DOWNLOAD THIS YOURSELF: click her: 10 reasons to shop locally