As a retailer you spend your time understanding what your customers want. You’re either setting trends in your sector or riding the wave of demand.
That’s your expertise and supplying what your customers want and need is the lifeblood of retail.
It’s a time consuming job, and if you’re running a small independent business as well as being head of buying, you’re likely to be head of HR, accounts, payroll, cleaning and tea maker in chief.
So we wanted to lend our smaller customers a little hand by getting a handle on the strength of feeling among the public for independent shops and where consumers choose where they shop.
And the good news for small business is you could be sitting on marketing gold.
Across the UK local, independent stores are hugely popular. In an online survey of 2,000 adults, two thirds said shopping locally, and supporting local business is important to them. Even more, 63% of adults, said they wanted to support their community by shopping locally.
In the survey, conducted by Yonder on behalf of Elavon, adults aged 18 and over were asked whether they agreed or not to a range of shopping locally statements.
These included: shopping locally is important to me; I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street; supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally; it doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price; I only think about convenience when I shop; and, I want to shop locally to support my community.
Simon Hargroves, Head of SMB Sales in the UK at Elavon Europe, said: “If you’re an independent shop owner, this independence could be your secret weapon.
“With two thirds of people saying shopping locally is important to them, it is clearly something that needs highlighting.
“Make the most of it by working with your community – club together with other like-minded business, host events with local bands or artists, or simply get to know independent businesses in your area.
“Being able to direct customers to the right place when you can’t help them is a really simple way of increasing loyalty. And of course that can be mutually beneficial if you’re supporting another local, independent business.”
We also wanted to know how or even if people actively sought out local businesses. We asked if people knew where to look, or if they searched online.
Here we see a little more than half (51%) of adults said they search online to find local businesses near them.
But more than one in ten (14%) of adults said they don’t know where to look to find local business.
Here you can play to your strengths. Make it clear in any signage or on your website (or both!) that you’re an independent, local business.
Highlight how long you’ve been part of the community and support other local independent businesses.
If there is a shop local campaign already established in your area, consider joining it, and if not, consider setting one up.
In our survey, almost two thirds of consumers said they care that there are independent shops in their area. Use this knowledge to your advantage – work with other independents and let your customers know what they getting or could lose.
So while it can be daunting competing with the big, major retailers, take heart in knowing that most people want to see a thriving high street.
“We all benefit from choice,” says Simon. “This choice will create an interesting, vibrant high street.
“The big retailers have their place and so do the smaller ones. Knowing that consumers want to support independent shops can help those smaller ones play to their strengths.”
Source: Yonder conducted an online sample of 2,082 UK adults 18+ in November 2024. Data is weighted to be representative of the population of the UK. Targets for quotas and weights are taken from the PAMCO survey, a random probability survey conducted annually with 35,000 adults. Yonder is a founding member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
Question: To what extent, if any, do you agree or disagree with the following statements?
|
|
Shopping locally is important to me |
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street |
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me |
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me |
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally |
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Base |
2082 |
2082 |
2082 |
2082 |
2082 |
2082 |
|
NET: Agree |
58% |
13% |
51% |
14% |
56% |
45% |
|
Strongly agree |
15% |
3% |
12% |
3% |
13% |
14% |
|
Agree |
43% |
10% |
39% |
11% |
43% |
31% |
|
Neither agree nor disagree |
29% |
23% |
27% |
22% |
31% |
31% |
|
Disagree |
10% |
37% |
15% |
41% |
9% |
20% |
|
Strongly disagree |
2% |
25% |
6% |
22% |
3% |
4% |
|
NET: Disagree |
12% |
62% |
21% |
63% |
12% |
24% |
|
NET: Disagree |
1% |
2% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
1% |
Base
Shopping locally is important to me
2082
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
2082
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
2082
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
2082
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
2082
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
2082
NET: Agree
Shopping locally is important to me
58%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
13%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
51%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
14%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
56%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
45%
Strongly agree
Shopping locally is important to me
15%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
3%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
12%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
3%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
13%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
14%
Agree
Shopping locally is important to me
43%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
10%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
39%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
11%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
43%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
31%
Neither agree nor disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
29%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
23%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
27%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
22%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
31%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
31%
Disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
10%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
37%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
15%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
41%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
9%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
20%
Strongly disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
2%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
25%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
6%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
22%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
3%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
4%
NET: Disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
12%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
62%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
21%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
63%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
12%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
24%
NET: Disagree
Shopping locally is important to me
1%
I wouldn't care if there were fewer independent shops on the local high street
2%
I tend to look online to find local businesses near me
1%
I wouldn't know where to look to find details of local businesses near me
1%
Supporting local business owners motivates me to shop locally
1%
It doesn't matter where I shop, as long as I get the best price
1%
|
|
I only think about convenience |
I want to shop locally to |
|---|---|---|
|
Base |
2082 |
2082 |
|
NET: Agree |
30% |
63% |
|
Strongly agree |
6% |
16% |
|
Agree |
24% |
47% |
|
Neither agree nor disagree |
32% |
28% |
|
Disagree |
29% |
6% |
|
Strongly disagree |
7% |
2% |
|
NET: Disagree |
36% |
7% |
|
NET: Disagree |
1% |
1% |
Base
I only think about convenience
when I shop
2082
I want to shop locally to
support my community
2082
NET: Agree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
30%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
63%
Strongly agree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
6%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
16%
Agree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
24%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
47%
Neither agree nor disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
32%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
28%
Disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
29%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
6%
Strongly disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
7%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
2%
NET: Disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
36%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
7%
NET: Disagree
I only think about convenience
when I shop
1%
I want to shop locally to
support my community
1%
31 January 2025
Helping thousands of customers around the world grow their business through payments
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Copyright© | U.S. Bank Europe DAC. Registered in Ireland with Companies Registration Office. The liability of the member is limited. United Kingdom branch registered in England and Wales under the number BR022122.
U.S. Bank Europe DAC, trading as Elavon Merchant Services, is a credit institution authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request.
Helping thousands of customers around the world grow their business through payments
Customer service and support
We’re here to help!
Customer service: 0345 850 0195
8am to 6pm, Monday to Friday
Opayo product support: 0191 313 0299
24 hours a day, 365 days a year
Copyright© | U.S. Bank Europe DAC. Registered in Ireland with Companies Registration Office. The liability of the member is limited. United Kingdom branch registered in England and Wales under the number BR022122.
U.S. Bank Europe DAC, trading as Elavon Merchant Services, is a credit institution authorised and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request.
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