Golden Quarter is the time to show your favourite retailers some love
It’s fair to say retailers up and down the country – not just in Northampton – have endured an extremely difficult few years.
The double whammy of rising energy bills and a cost-of-living crisis, coupled with a dramatic shift in the retail landscape, has created what many have described as ‘the perfect storm’.
As we approach Christmas we find ourselves in ‘the Golden Quarter’ – the three months of the year that prove crucial to a retailer’s financial performance. A good festive season can set you up for the rest of the year but, if the tills don’t ring, it can signal a troubling period to come.
There is an onus on all of us to support our town centres and do our bit to protect their future prosperity. From keeping them clean and tidy so they are attractive places to visit to shopping local and spending money where we live – each of us has a responsibility to contribute to the well-being of our much-loved retail centres.
Small Business Saturday is an opportunity for us all to show a little love to the independent retailers that make up the fabric of our community. These shops and businesses are what give Northampton its character, its personality and its feel. They are run by people who live here, work here and want to see our town thrive.
Their success depends on us and we urge everyone to get out there on Saturday, December 7 and support them – ideally not just for one day but all year round. They need us and we absolutely need them.
Support from the community is something that Northampton can always rely on and this was certainly evident at the recent Diwali celebrations. The new Market Square was absolutely rammed to the rafters, with hundreds of well-wishers lining the streets for the dazzling parade.
It was heartening to see the town out in force, enjoying the spectacle and making the most of this impressive new public events space in precisely the way it was designed.
Huge crowds also turned out for a poignant service of remembrance at All Saints Church as we paid our respects to all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to have the freedoms we enjoy today.
Northampton is a special town. Let’s work together to keep it that way and ensure it continues to thrive for generations to come.