Fresh from the steaming keyboards of Walsall Council’s press office, I’ve had this press release mailed to me and I thought I’d run it here. We really need to support our town, and the concept does make a lot of sense. I can’t help feeling they’ve noticed that we exist about fifteen years too late, but the Council are quite correct, the local traders need our support. I think we’d all like to see a thriving High Street again, so why not take a stroll out – you could well be pleasantly surprised.
Campaign launched to shop local in Brownhills
Shoppers are being urged to ‘shop smart, shop local’ as part of a campaign to boost Brownhills town centre. Posters and are being distributed and an advertising campaign launched as part of the joint initiative between Walsall Council and the Brownhills Town Centre Partnership. Traders have thrown their weight behind the scheme with initiatives already planned including a Christmas event on November 28 and a shoppers directory soon to be published.
I bet it's been ages since you went shopping in Brownhills...
Councillor Adrian Andrew, Walsall Council cabinet member for regeneration, said the scheme was proof positive of how the authority was working with traders. He said: “I’m very pleased to support the Brownhills Shop Smart, Shop Local initiative to boost the economic vitality of the town. We have put our support behind Brownhills market and I’m pleased that this scheme sees market traders and the town centre come together for the town.
“There’s a whole host of reasons why people should shop in Brownhills. Shoppers always get a good welcome and there’s a great mix of High Street names and smaller independent shops which offer personal service making it a pleasure to shop here. Staying local in a recession also means you save money on travel which transfers to a saving for you and helps keep jobs in the town. Importantly, it’s also greener for the environment.”
Tracy Costello, branch manager of Co-op Travel in Brownhills who also serves as chair of the Brownhills Town Centre Partnership urged people to back the scheme. She said: “We do need the people of Brownhills to support their town. If you love Brownhills it will love you back. There is so much to do here and let’s not forget free parking too.”
Shoppers who visit Brownhills can expect to call in on a range of High Street names such as Tesco, Wilkinsons, Aldi, Farm Foods and Focus, as well as a host of smaller shops and businesses including butchers, florists, newsagent and gift shops, hairdressers, travel agents, opticians, charity shops, furniture and carpet shops, cafes and phone shops – meeting all your local shopping needs.
Benefits of the scheme for businesses are that customers return and new ones are recruited.
For shoppers, there are great reasons to shop smart and shop local, organisers say.
- Local shops sell a wide range of products at affordable prices and people are often surprised by the range of products and gifts available.
- Shopping locally can save you money: spending less on travel and parking can reduce the cost of shopping substantially.
- Staying in Brownhills means that the community is boosted helping create a vibrant town centre where people can socialise as well as shop.
- It also saves the environment by cutting long car or bus journeys to cut CO² emissions.
- Shopping locally also retains distinctiveness with independent shops often stocking different and distinctive products.
- The campaign also aims to creates and keeps jobs in Brownhills town centre.
- Brownhills shops are for everyone who lives in the area from young to old as transport is often not needed to get to them.
- Local shops also place great value on their customers and they can also keep services in the town centre.
For more information contact Antonia in the Walsall Council district centres team on 01922 652095 or email pompaa@walsall.gov.uk