Supporting Local Businesses in the Post COVID-19 World

COVID-19 has definitely been a game changer, one that will go down in the history books. 

This crisis has forced us to evaluate and radically alter the way that we look at the world. Everything that we do as we emerge from lockdown will be different now, from the way we spend our money to the way that we interact with businesses.

That’s why it’s never been more important to support local and independent shops and businesses!

We are so fortunate to have an abundance of independent and local shops in and around Oxted and some of these businesses have been a saving grace to many during the last couple of months; local farm shops and corner shops are just a few to mention. Restaurants and pubs that have offered takeaway services and adapted their business models to serve the community needs, local garden centres providing delivery services, so we can enjoy our outside spaces during lockdown.   

Buying your products locally and independently has never been more important and we must try and keep this momentum going post lockdown. It is true that when we come out of lockdown, every single business and organisation will need to get back on their feet, please be patient and show kindness. Keep in mind that each business will start from a different position. Giant supermarket chains or Amazon, for example have the power behind them to be largely unaffected by what we have all just been through and are still going through. Whilst large companies undoubtedly have provided an invaluable service during the peak of the crisis they will likely come out of this unscathed and possibly improved. 

This is in sharp contrast to the companies who are just small and local. Most don’t have the resources, or the capital required to build themselves back up, so a loss of interest in their goods and services could put them out of business forever. 

Our spending habits have certainly changed since lockdown began, I think most people have been mindful of where and what they are buying during this time, however for obvious reasons people have been shopping online more probably than ever before. Ideally we need to continue this mindfulness shopping and continue to apply it to our local and independent business, of course there are many local businesses that have only an online presence too, there are many and they need our support just as much. 

Let’s not get pulled back into enticing flash sales and rock bottom prices, just simply to get us buying items we probably don’t actually need. Instead spend a little bit more on items you will regard with great value and take great comfort that you have just helped out a real person and a family behind that business you bought from. 

We can take full advantage of the sheer wealth of people that are running small local businesses in and around the area. They are after all the backbone of the economy!