Small Business Saturday: Campaign launched to boost Shrewsbury's indies
A new campaign encouraging people to support Shrewsbury's economy has been launched to coincide with Small Business Saturday today.
The town-wide initiative is being run by Shrewsbury Business Improvement District (BID) and is asking people to choose local companies and "reconsider the online shopping autopilot".
The campaign, which will continue throughout Christmas and into early 2026, is aiming to challenge the habit of defaulting to online retailers and instead shines a spotlight on the value, care and community that comes from shopping on the high street.
The BID said Shrewsbury's independent businesses were one of the town's greatest strengths, prompting it to win awards such as Britain's Best High Street and Most Perfect Market Town, both from the Daily Telegraph, while the Guardian named it one of the happiest places to live.
- Sign up for our FREE weekly Nostalgia Newsletter - with scores of archive pictures and exclusive features on the history of Shropshire and Mid Wales - all sent to your inbox every Friday
The first wave of designs, to be displayed from today and throughout the festive period features three short, striking messages: ‘Buy from people, not platforms', ‘You work hard for your money - spend it with someone who cares' and ‘Add to basket (but in real life)'.
The messages will be displayed on posters and vinyls around the town centre, in designs with a retro festive feel inspired by the 1950s and '60s, a time long before online shopping was a thing.
Businesses will display the campaign messages and shoppers who choose to buy in person will receive stickers as a thank-you for supporting the high street.
The campaign will continue to evolve with further designs and messages rolling out in 2026.
Seb Slater, executive director of Shrewsbury BID, said: "Shrewsbury is incredibly fortunate to have a town centre that consistently outperforms the national picture.
"In 2024, 51 per cent of customer spend in our town went to independent retailers - compared to a UK average of just 29 per cent - and that's something we can be proud of.
"But it doesn't mean our businesses have it easy. Every independent in Shrewsbury still faces the same yearly challenges competing with large online retailers as independents across the country.
"This campaign is about reminding people of the power they have to support the shops, makers and traders who give our town its identity."
Shrewsbury MP Julia Buckley added: "I am so proud to represent a town where the high street genuinely thrives against UK trends and where independent businesses sit at the heart of our community.
"I visit towns around the country and what you see elsewhere is often a world away from what we're lucky to have in Shrewsbury. We cannot take that for granted - we must support what we have if we want to keep it."
Shrewsbury Mayor Councillor Alex Wagner said: "Shrewsbury's shopping scene is completely unique.
"Streets like Wyle Cop are among the very best independent shopping streets in Britain and the town has earned an extraordinary number of plaudits in the national press as a result.
"People travel from all over the Midlands - and far beyond - to explore our brilliant indie shops, markets and makers. This campaign is a celebration of everything that makes Shrewsbury special and a nudge to remember the value of choosing local."
Comment Guidelines
Iconic Media encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.