#ShopLocal
Success Stories
As a seller this has completely revolutionised my thinking. I’ve known I’ve needed an online presence and haven’t done anything because I’ve been so busy doing face to face selling through fairs. This shoplocal platform is a sort of halfway house between direct selling and the anonymity of etsy or ebay/Amazon.
Through the #shoplocal initiative there is still the opportunity to chat to people discover what they want, make something bespoke etc. And I’ve loved doing all my deliveries and chatting to my new customers. It’s been fantastic and quite overwhelming with good feeling. This is the way we will get this country back on its feet – by communities reaching out and helping each other.
Buyer: Before I order anything on Amazon I ask here first. I have spent a little more but the experience is so much better, the attention to detail from the sellers brings a certain joy to shopping that can’t be replicated by Amazon. In addition I feel as if I am contributing to my micro economy which is so important right now. It’s important to think about where your money is going… shopping on Amazon is like renting a property, shopping local is like buying, it’s an investment back into your own surroundings…
I don’t want my children to grow up and hear stories about The High Street and how we used to have shops there. This is too important to lose.
As a seller, I have had more sales this season via online with local people I haven’t met before. Usually people meet me at Art Fairs, Bucks Art Weeks, Amersham Art Unlocked etc or word of mouth/recommendation. I love to buy handmade and local myself wherever possible!
As a buyer it’s been great to find all the local talent in the area. I’ve always wanted to buy local but never knew where to start. This group has given me gift ideas I never even thought of trying to find for friends and family! Well done everyone.
As both a stall holder and #shoplocal buyer it has changed my perception of the value of keeping it local. It feels like you are part of a community of likeminded people all supporting each other. My pottery business has taken off like I could have only dreamed of and to support fellow small business owners has meant I am meeting lots of new people making and creating beautiful, unique products. I really hope that for the future #shoplocal will be the way that people interact and buy from each other with the added advantage of making some new friends along the way.