Vote for your favourite local shop and win £200!!!

By mandy@lovelocallife.co.uk | Posted in All towns | Tagged alderley edge, alsager, cheshire east loyalty, cheshire loyalty card, local discounts, local offers, love local life, love local life card, loyalty card, loyalty card macclesfield, loyalty scheme, Middlewich, shop local, shop local card | Comments (0)

Love Your Local Shop

Loyal customers are being encouraged to ‘spread the love’ this Valentine’s Day by nominating their favourite independent shop or business for the prestigious Cheshire East Love Local Life Awards.

All shoppers need do is nominate the shop of their choice in one or more of four categories by visiting the Love Local Life website www.lovelocallife.co.uk . The categories are: outstanding service; best range of products; best value; best presentation.

Each customer nominating their favourite shop will be entered into a prize draw to win a voucher for £200 to celebrate with on Valentine’s Day.

The winning shops will receive a free business makeover review from expert ‘shop doctor’ Bill Smith who helps small businesses master entrepreneurial skills.

The winning shops will also be given a year’s free subscription to the Love Local Life scheme, which is helping high streets across the Borough beat the economic downturn.

The Love Local Life card, which has so far been launched in seven Cheshire East towns, gives discounts to regular customers and promotes local shopping.

“Love Local Life is going from strength-to-strength and these awards are our way of recognising all the hard work undertaken by the business community to keep our high-streets alive and thriving.

“It’s also a way of encouraging customers to support their local shops and join the Love Local Life scheme which offers great discounts on everyday shopping.”

To nominate your favourite business simply go to www.lovelocallife.co.uk and you could win a voucher for £200!

For more information on the scheme, either as a card-holder or retailer wanting to participate, simply log on to: www.lovelocallife.co.uk

Living Love Local for a month

By mandy@lovelocallife.co.uk | Posted in All towns, Alsager | Tagged alsager, cheshire east loyalty, cheshire loyalty card, local discounts, local offers, love local life, loyalty card, shop local | Comments (0)

Thurs 19^th Jan

Weekly riding lesson in Audley – does this count as local? Off to Crewe (not local) to fetch mobile phone from repair – taken in before I started the challenge! They’ve wiped all my photos without telling me. Not happy.Also visited Co-op Travel – there now is no travel agent in Alsager. Lastly into the village for batteries and chicken.

Fri 20^th Jan

Off to Liverpool to meet my daughter at Uni there so she can take me out for a belated birthday lunch. I did not buy a thing but enjoyed the ‘buzz’ and wondered what makes a ‘buzz’. We want our communities and shopping areas to have one. It requires a certain people density, chatter, laughter, movement, an amount of busy-ness. So for Alsager to have an attractive buzz, enough people must be attracted into the centre to shop, work and use the local services. The market being on Alsager’s traditional half-day closing is a problem. Changing the market day will be a problem for traders. Can local businesses change half-day closing to another day?

Sat 21^st Jan

Alsager’s Farmers Market ! I love it and enjoyed my visit as always. It was quieter than average as is the case for many January Farmers Markets as many traders have their annual break after the busy Christmas season. Stalls included veg, meat, cakes and treats, honey and bee products, wood and glass crafts, cards, curry sauces, bread, thermal clothing and delicatessen goods. There was also information from Manor House Hotel and the Alsager Adventure, a community initiative. A dance school was advertising their classes, demonstrating on the stage. Alsager Animals In Need were fund-raising too and refreshments were available. I spent £20 on honey, beef, cakes, curry sauce, bread and dog treats. It’s not cheap shopping but the quality is superb, it’s local and I like talking to the producers. Buying from this market gives us variety in our food shopping and, once a month, I feel the extra expense is justifiable. I know this is not the case for all. Perhaps there could be a Bargain Board outside the Market where stall-holders can advertise their special offers outside and perhaps draw more shoppers in?

One thing I notice on my challenge is that I am using cash more and plastic less. This may make me think more before I spend.

After the Market I go to the Co-op to buy other necessities. I wonder if using the Co-op is truly in the spirit of LoveLocal. Should I just use the independent shops? Perhaps that could be another challenge – definitely a more expensive one. By using the independents I am generating profits to local people who, in turn, will probably spend locally. The Co-op’s profits pay Co-op staff and contribute to members’ benefits but are more indirect to Alsager. Not new thoughts I know but what is more important? My gut feeling is that we need both. 100% shopping from independents will sadly be too expensive for most households. We need reminding perhaps to use our independents more and enjoy the different shopping experience only they can provide. If all Alsager residents shopped locally exclusively 1 or 2 days every week would this give our centre a noticeable boost? Would this be workable?

Vote for your favourite local shop and win £200 to spend locally

By mandy@lovelocallife.co.uk | Posted in All towns | Comments (0)