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Americas

United States
Puerto Rico

Europe

Denmark
Germany
Ireland
Norway
Poland
Sweden
United Kingdom
Spain

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
when I shop

I want to shop locally to
support my community

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%

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