Bournemouth Town Centre Stores Spotlighted Ahead of Small Business Saturday

Bournemouth Town Centre’s small, independent businesses were in the spotlight as the ‘Small Business Saturday’ tour came to town on Monday.

The Small Business Saturday campaign, now in its 12th year, kicked off with a national roadshow visiting and showcasing independent businesses across the UK, marking the countdown to the Small Business Saturday on 7 December.

‘The Tour’, supported by BT, set off in the Scottish Highlands in early November and will travel over 3,000 miles throughout November and visit 23 towns and cities across the UK.

At every stop the campaign team meet the people behind some of the UK’s 5.5 million small businesses, filming tour videos to share their unique stories and encouraging consumers to ‘shop local’ and support them – and on Monday 25 November they came to Bournemouth Town Centre

Among those featured was 24-year-old Matt Simms, owner of Resneaked, a business he launched from his bedroom while at university, now selling pre-loved and brand-new exclusive clothes and trainers from his Westover Road store.

The tour team also visited Arcadia Escape Rooms in the heart of Bournemouth, founded by brothers Joe and George Carruthers earlier this year, and KH Jewels in Albert Road, specialists in custom made jewellery.

And they popped into Flirt Café in The Triangle, family run restaurant El Murrino in Old Christchurch Road, and Trove, a collective mall selling a vast selection of unique and novelty items, based in The Arcade.

Bournemouth Town Centre BID worked closely with the Small Business Saturday Tour Team, travelling around with them on Monday, with Chief Operating Officer Paul Kinvig also filming a video.

He said:

“Small Business Saturday on 7 December is a brilliant campaign which has been banging the drum for the Uk’s small businesses for more than a decade, so we were thrilled to welcome them for the second year running and see Bournemouth Town Centre businesses getting involved.

“We really hope local people will get involved too and take the opportunity to go out and support small independent businesses in every sector. They are the lifeblood of our town centres, and it is vital we support them, utilise them and encourage them so that they continue to provide a service which brings so much to our community and our local economy.”

Small Business Saturday is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, backed by principal supporter American Express. Running for over a decade it celebrates small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’, especially in the run up to Christmas. The day itself takes place on the first Saturday in December each year, with many small businesses hosting events and offering discounts and creating a buzz across social media

Bournemouth Town Centre BID has once again thrown its weight firmly behind Small Business Saturday, supporting the campaign through its social media channels and encouraging local businesses to take advantage of the free online training, mentoring, and webinars being offered to small businesses this year alongside the roadshow, covering topics like marketing on a budget, time management and finance.

Michelle Ovens CBE, director of Small Business Saturday UK said:

“Small businesses sit at the heart of communities, forming the cornerstone of local economies. This is why we are visiting these communities in person with The Tour. We are really excited about this next phase and the chance to shine an important light on fabulous small businesses all across the UK, bringing to life their brilliant and unique stories and impact.”

For more see https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/ or https://smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/the-tour