SCOTLAND’S Towns Partnership is urging people to support shops and attractions that are close to home as more Covid-19 restrictions are relaxed today.
Under the Scottish Government’s route map out of lockdown, today sees stores opening up for the first time since Boxing Day.
Shoppers are being asked to consider putting local stores first in a bid to help rebuild the economy after what has been a difficult year for many business owners in Scotland.
Scotland’s Towns Partnership chief officer Phil Prentice says it is vital that the economic recovery from the pandemic grows from its grassroots.
He said: “We are encouraging everyone to think local first. By supporting your local businesses you will be helping the national recovery.
“The importance of today for those retail, hospitality and leisure businesses which have been unable to open since December cannot be underestimated.
“Their survival, however, depends on support. And the most critical support comes from their community.
“This is a chance to rediscover and celebrate all that’s on our doorstep.
Prentice continued: “By supporting local businesses – whether when shopping or meeting friends – you are helping protect the jobs of those who live around you, safeguarding shops and services and making your community a better place to be.
“The road to recovery from coronavirus is going to be challenging.
But we hope that today can signal the start of a summer of success, both in terms of beating the pandemic and for businesses bouncing back.
“Thinking local first – and safety first – will give the greatest chances of realising those hopes.”
The Partnership is behind the Scotland Loves Local campaign, which has already led the charge for people to consider and support the local businesses around them throughout the pandemic.
The movement has been supported by towns and neighbourhoods across Scotland, many of which have gone on to develop their own hyper-local campaigns.
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