A strong marketing campaign to encourage people to Shop Local this Christmas has been launched by Fylde Council. The Council is supporting shopping locally as a formal promotion whilst also encouraging visitors to the Borough on the run up to Christmas promoting all their town centres. This will include Facebook and Instagram adverts, a video campaign, digital and printed advertising. The Council have also provided shoppers with free parking on the weekends 3rd and 4th, 10th and 11th and 17th and 18th of December which will really help the campaign.
Local businesses are being encouraged to participate by erecting a tied-in campaign poster and shop door signage. Businesses and the four town centre business groups are also being encouraged to share their events and activities and the Council team will be helping to promote these too.
The Business Group Chair Persons have been very keen to support the initiative:
It’s lovely to have all the towns of the Fylde “sparkle” together & encourage our Fylde community to Shop Local and support local businesses, Kirkham supports this initiative. We have some amazing independents, many of them artisans and boutique, perfect for gift shopping, we also have a plentiful offering of new eating and drinking establishments. This year we are celebrating the twelve days of Christmas with twelve of our businesses hosting stunning festive window artwork, our loyalty card scheme is still on offer which has proved very successful.
Heidi Hopkinson, Chair, Kirkham Business Group
STEP are working to make St Anne’s as busy as possible over this festive season. We welcome a marketing campaign that promotes all the towns in Fylde, we all have something unique to offer. As with last year, it’s not just locals that we want to encourage to shop locally, we are also promoting our Christmas Market further afield to pull more visitors into the town. Once everyone experiences what we as a town have to offer, we’re confident that they’ll be back for more!
Veli Kirk and Aileen Aimes Chair and Vice Chair, St Annes Economic Partnership
St Annes Independent Retailers are ready for the ‘Christmas Countdown’ and look forward to welcoming thousands of local and not-so-local people to our town, and our fellow neighbouring Fylde towns, through this initiative. The numerous independent shops offer artisan-made products, vintage finds, Christmas gifts, seasonal clothing and much much more. Combined with the outstanding standard of eateries and bars in St Annes, there is something for everyone throughout the festive season with many of our shops offering a 10% discount for locals.
Lee Mahon, Chair, St Annes Independent Retailers
The Fabulous Fylde Christmas campaign is really welcomed, and a great way to promote all our Fylde towns have to offer at a time when all of us in business are really feeling the pinch. Christmas in Lytham is always very magical, every year we strive to provide something really special and memory-making. This year we are hosting a Festive Bear Hunt & Colouring Competition running throughout December and into the New Year. Spot Clifton Bear & Snowman Stan about town too! Our activities are aimed at encouraging visitor footfall into our cafes, shops and restaurants and to remind locals of the fabulous offer already here in Lytham.
Suzanne Taylor, Chair, Lytham Busines Partnership
