Christmas shoppers flocked to the Island’s towns and villages this weekend as parking fees were suspended in the council’s off-street car parks in support of Small Business Saturday.
This is the first year that the Island has taken part in Small Business Saturday, a national event designed to encourage people to shop locally.
Large events were staged by business associations in Shanklin, Ryde and Newport which aimed to attract and entertain shoppers on one of the busiest Christmas shopping days of the year. Local businesses were encouraged to get involved in Small Business Saturday by holding events or promoting special offers to encourage people to shop locally for the day.
Councillor Jon Gilbey, cabinet member for resources, said:
“The new administration feels it is important to support local businesses and we were delighted to contribute to Small Business Saturday by suspending parking fees for the day. The car parks I saw on Saturday were very busy and it was clear that people were making the effort to shop locally.”
Councillor Shirley Smart, cabinet member for tourism and economy, said:
“This is the first time the Island has taken part in Small Business Saturday and initial feedback from businesses is positive – it is certainly something we can build on in future years.
“The Island has a wealth of unique, independent businesses and it was wonderful to see so many people out on Saturday supporting the local economy.”
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Small Business Saturday was also supported by the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, Visit Isle of Wight and the Federation of Small Businesses.
Norman Arnold, Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), said:
“It was terrific to see so many independent local businesses getting involved and so many Islanders rediscovering their high streets. The FSB will certainly be actively supporting this important initiative again next year, just as we support small business throughout the year. Hopefully the Isle of Wight Council will be in a position to further nourish this concept and help keep the Islands economy buoyant.”
