The #SAVETHESTREET campaign will call on government to properly support our independent retailers."
Having successfully campaigned for a business rates relief extension, the campaign is now asking for an ‘eat out to help out’ style stimulus package for independent retailers. And as supermarkets return £1.8 billion of business rates relief to the Treasury, the campaign is also calling for the Chancellor to use this unexpected windfall to fund these vital lifelines for the retail sector.
#SAVETHESTREET’s open letter to the chancellor has been sent on behalf of Appear Here’s 114,000 independent retailers and entrepreneurs, with the backing of retail leaders including the founders of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty (pictured below at the Walpole British Luxury Awards), BOXPARK, The White Company and Charles Tyrwhitt.
It highlights:
• The retail sector represents 20% of our GDP and is the UK’s largest private-sector employer, providing jobs for almost three million people
• Every £1 spent with local independent retailers generates 63p of benefit for the local economy, compared to 40p from larger national retailers
• But as it stands, 21,000 stores are set to disappear this year, half of which will be independents.
"I passionately believe in the power of retail theatre, putting it at the heart of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty. Right now, independent retailers need our support to continue sharing their unique magic! When you buy from an independent store, you are not only supporting our high streets and our local communities, you are helping to build a community spirit, and that has the power to change the world for the better!"
Charlotte Tilbury MBE, founder of Charlotte Tilbury Beauty
“Our streets are facing a historic threat. Independent retailers have endured multiple lockdowns with scant support from government. Behind every store is an entrepreneur who often has put everything on a line to bring their idea to life. To leave them to fend for themselves is a total injustice. It is simply not right that other sectors have received grants while independent retail, the beating heart of neighbourhoods across the UK, has been all but abandoned."
Ross Bailey, founder of Appear Here and #SavetheStreet
This campaign is also backed by former Walpole Brands of Tomorrow Desmond & Dempsey, Cubitts and Finlay London. To find out more and to back the campaign, visit www.savethestreet.com.
