Small Business Saturday takes place on December 2nd 2023.  Originating in the USA, it started in the UK in 2013 and seeks to highlight small business success and encourages consumers to shop local and support small businesses in their communities.

Small business is vital for our economy and for those who are self-employed.  Taking place on the first Saturday in December each year, the campaign aims to have a lasting impact on small businesses.

Here in Crawley, supporting small business is something Crawley’s Conservative Councillors are very keen to support year-round, so today we are launching a new campaign in Crawley called #ShopLocalCrawley.

Retail habits have been changing.  Long term trends have accelerated since the Covid pandemic and online shopping is taking an ever-greater share.  Local shops have also been greatly impacted by global inflation, higher energy costs, and ever-higher rents set by landlords - which includes Crawley Borough Council who own the shop premises at most of Crawley’s neighbourhood shopping parades.

The opposition Conservative group of Councillors at Crawley Borough Council, believe our neighbourhood centres are the beating heart of our communities, and that we must lead by example and support local business, if we are to ensure a good range of local shops to serve residents in Crawley’s neighbourhoods.  From today, we are running an online non-political campaign to support and promote Crawley’s local shops, with particular focus on our neighbourhood parades.

Crawley’s Conservative Councillors pledge to aim to use at least two different local shops and businesses each week in our local areas, and we encourage residents who don’t already, to join with us in aiming to do so.  We have launched a Facebook Page called Shop Local Crawley which can be found here

Throughout the year, we will be showcasing and sharing promotional material from local shops across the town and highlighting our own support and usage of Crawley’s neighbourhood shops.  In supporting our campaign, we encourage the sharing of the hashtag #ShopLocalCrawley across social media and for residents to shop local in Crawley whenever they can.  

Councillor Duncan Crow, Leader of Crawley Borough Council Conservative Group

21st November 2023