Make Small Business Saturday count and shop local in Yorkshire’s high streets and market towns like Otley – The Yorkshire Post says

From its inception on this side of the Atlantic in 2013, it has grown in both significance – and stature – in the intervening years as the public have become more aware about the true value of local shops, businesses and amenities.

And tomorrow’s event takes on added importance at the end of a challenging year that has seen both Covid restrictions, and the practices of online discount retailers, compromise so many high streets.

After all, the stores and firms fighting for their futures are, invariably, the local ventures, steeped in the communities that they’re proud to serve and call home, that have been struggling ever since the credit crunch and banking crisis led to Small Business Saturday being launched in the United States.

This is why The Yorkshire Post knows that it can count on its readers, and supporters, to shop local this weekend – and also in the run up to Christmas – and take advantage of the vibrancy and vitality of this county’s market towns.

Every transaction won’t just help the businesses concerned in their own hour of need; it will give much-needed impetus to all those community groups and volunteers working tirelessly to promote their towns while, at the same time, pressing the Government to do more to help high streets to evolve.

This is exemplified by the Visit Otley Christmas video – an inspired production which follows a young girl as she ticks off things to do on an ‘Otley Advent-ure’ calendar. Emblematic of the market town’s renowned community spirit, it also highlights the importance of traders, and others, exploiting their considerable skills for the greater good and giving customers, the most important people of all, even more reason to shop local every week of the year.

Support The Yorkshire Post and become a subscriber today. Your subscription will help us to continue to bring quality news to the people of Yorkshire. In return, you’ll see fewer ads on site, get free access to our app, receive exclusive members-only offers and access to all premium content and columns. Click here to subscribe.