Shoppers across Scotland are being urged to choose local and get behind businesses in their community this Black Friday.
The coming days are expected to be among the highest-spending of the year in retail with major discounts offered as the festive shopping season shifts into top gear.
And the team behind the Scotland Loves Local campaign is calling on everyone to prioritise local businesses during the entire countdown to Christmas, rather than automatically turning to online retail giants.
They are also encouraging people to spend using the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card, ensuring the money they spend stays local for longer by directly supporting shops, attractions and jobs in their area.
This call to action comes amid growing recognition across Scotland of the critical need to support local high streets.
Black Friday – which this year falls tomorrow, November 29 – has become a key date in the festive shopping calendar, with major multi-national retailers often leading on discounts.
Increasingly, however, local businesses have also adopted offers – making it a key part in the so-called Golden Quarter during the lead up to Christmas.
Throughout Scottish communities, many businesses are also extending opening hours and unveiling offers in tandem with community celebrations, including Christmas lights switch-on events continuing this weekend.
Scotland Loves Local is the campaign that urges people to think, choose and spend locally to build better futures for their community. It is spearheaded by Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), with support from the Scottish Government.
STP’s Chief Officer, Kimberley Guthrie, said: “This is a critical time of year for all retail and hospitality businesses. The difference we can make by choosing local and getting behind them really can define their year.
“Our call is simple: Please don’t just turn to the online giants on Black Friday and throughout the festive shopping season. Local businesses – which so often offer great buys which are special and unique – need to benefit too.
“Whether in person or online, we would encourage everyone to think local first when shopping. It’s an investment in your community’s future.
“By doing so, we are helping to secure the future of local businesses – many of which have served our communities for generations – the jobs of our friends and neighbours and ensuring the foundations remain from which our town centres can evolve into a new future.”
In recent months, organisations of all kinds across the country have been signing the Scotland Loves Local Pledge – a promise that they will choose local and support the businesses around them whenever it is possible for them to do so.
“That is a pledge that people really can fulfil over the coming weeks,” Kimberley added.
A way in which local people can show that support is by using the Scotland Loves Local Gift Card. These are available regionally across the country and can only be spent by local businesses registered to accept them. That makes them a direct way in which money can be used to support local jobs in shops, bars, restaurants and visitor attractions.
Digital developments to the programme in recent months mean it has become easier than ever for businesses to use them as staff rewards this Christmas.
