July is Independent Retailer Month in both the UK and the USA. We're all being encouraged to celebrate and support independent retailers - and here are three good reasons why:
1) Local independent shops are run by local people. By supporting independents, we are investing in our own community and the people in it. It’s risky to start a business and we independents really appreciate the support we receive.
2) Independent businesses want to contribute and make our shared community better. Independents listen and learn: we want to meet local needs and we can innovate and adapt our small businesses to do so much more quickly and effectively than a bigger retail company with a national agenda.
3) Every single independent business is unique and brings much needed character and colour to our increasingly homogenised high streets.
Please do support your local independent retailers - they will really appreciate it!
And here are some of our favourite local independent business here in Bath:
Pulteney Bridge Flowers sell stunning flowers from a stunning location overlooking Bath Weir.
Flamingo on Widcombe Parade is the perfect place to find gifts and cards, many of which are designed and made by local artists.
We have some inspirational independent neighbours here on Walcot Street. A Yarn Story has shelves filled with the most divine yarns from around the world.
Our immediate neighbours, fortunately for us, just happen to be a family-run cake shop (Didi Cakes) who bake the most delicious cakes in front of their customers.
Corkage, a wine bar serving innovative small plates of food using seasonal ingredients was the perfect venue for our staff Christmas party last year!
Another neighbour is Meticulous Ink, a stationers offering utterly bespoke stationery printed the old fashioned way - using 1960s presses.
Other favourites of ours are Cafe Walcot - the perfect place for breakfast or lunch - and the long established and much loved Bath institutions Rossiters homeware and legendary bookshops Toppings Books and Mr B's Emporium.
Photo credits @visitbath and @bathchronicle
This article was written by Rhiannon, the owner of Honey Willow, an independent family-run business. The team at Honey WIllow has been handcrafting meaningful jewellery in Bath since 2009.