ANDREW MACKAY: Younger generation driving a shift to more local approach to Christmas
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The View from the Board by Andrew Mackay, Caithness Chamber of Commerce
The lists have been written and an intriguing challenge set. The young folk of the Mackay household have spoken – this year a more sustainable Christmas is on top of their agenda.
Like most shoppers, our personal spending habits have changed over years in-line with the growth and convenience of online shopping, inevitably and regrettably, contributing to decline in trade of our local high streets and independently owned businesses.
Encouraged to gift locally, a pro-active approach is required and it’s heartening to see the younger generation becoming a driving force for a shift in habits.
Research commissioned by Visa UK with the Centre of Economics of Business found that for every £10 spent with a local business more than a third stays within the local area as a result of local-concentrated employee based and supply chain composition. Flourishing local businesses have a meaningful and sustainable impact on making rural communities a vibrant place to live and work.
From a tourism perspective, this is also true. Our own hotels rely not only on our network of local suppliers and service providers, but also on the unique culture, heritage and local identity of our beautiful county. Our independent hotel business plays a huge role in attracting tourism to the north Highlands. With visitors valuing authentic experiences, individuality and diversity of our local independent businesses far outweigh the homogenised offer of the mass market.
Buying local isn’t just buying exclusively from the high street, it is about every pound spent in a local business employing local people, whether that’s fish merchants, DIY, furniture, kitchens and bathroom, using local tradesmen, a gardener, a cleaning firm, a local restaurant, café, craft businesses – the list goes on.
Sometimes there can be a misconception that buying local is more expensive. This year our independent filling stations have demonstrated it can be far cheaper to purchase fuel locally from an independent than from major supermarket or oil company-owned stations. So it pays to do some research before making that purchase.
Looking forward into the new year and with the cost-of-living crisis affecting both businesses and households, rising costs from insurance and energy to core products mean we are all tightening our belts and being savvy where we can.
Inevitably online shopping is here to stay, but a balanced and mindful approach to our consumer spending habits will help secure a future for our local economy and community. As independent business owners continue to blend their online and offline offering as a way to reach their customers, ongoing support from their local communities will help to keep the business going into next year and beyond.
- Andrew Mackay is the owner of the Caithness Collection – The Norseman Hotel, Wick, The Pentland Hotel, Thurso and The Castletown Hotel.
