Did you know it's JUST A CARDS indie week? We hope your answer is a yes!... if not and you are sat thinking "what is Kiera on about?" then sit back relax grab a brew and read on.
To simply sum up JUST A CARDS indie week with one quote is:
"bringing the might of the JUST A CARD community together to shout from the rooftops about the importance of valuing and buying from artists, makers and independent shops and small businesses during the crucial Christmas period." As a business who creates spaces for small businesses to inhabit and thrive on the high street we wanted to share some ways in which you can support indie makers and sellers this Christmas!
Lets get right on into it...
1. Visit one of our pop up shops!
This is a pretty obvious one but, our pop up shops are filled each week with an array of fantastic small businesses. With Christmas just around the corner lots of our small businesses have a range of fab products in our pop up shops. You can find your local pop up shop here: Pop Up Shops | Contemporary by Barker Proudlove (contemporarybybp.co.uk)
2. Spread the word of some of your fave small businesses
Social media is a powerful tool. It gives you the opportunity to share your own thoughts and feelings to the whole wide world! Why not use your platform to share some of your favorite indie businesses. Something as small as a positive comment, post or share can make all the difference to an independent business.
3. Shop locally and independently
When out in your local town it can be so easy to head into recognisable retail shops we all know and love. However, we challenge you to see if you can play your part this Christmas by shopping/supporting independent shops in your town centre this Christmas.
4. Use prime independent sites for online shopping
We know that sometimes shopping online can be a lot more convenient when it comes to the busy Christmas period. There are so many great sites in which you can use to make sure that you are still supporting indie businesses this Christmas. One example we can give is Etsy. Etsy brings together small businesses and pretty much creates a huge online hubs for small businesses, it is one great site to use this Christmas to ensure that you are supporting small businesses.
5. Leave a review
Simply leaving a great review is one little way which can make all the difference to someone buying from an indie business. Remember that it can take no longer than a couple of minuets but kind words can leave a lasting memory.
We hope that this read has given your some inspiration to shop local and support independents this Christmas. If you would like more information on our pop up shops then get in touch with myself (kiera@barkerproudlove.co.uk) or Jess (jessica@barkerproudlove.co.uk). Alternatively, check out our site for more information: About Contemporary by Barker Proudlove (contemporarybybp.co.uk). You can find more information on JUST A CARDS indie week here: Indie Week — Just a Card