Small businesses are celebrated at shopping centre

Small Business Saturday was celebrated in Eastbourne's Enterprise Centre.

The special shopping day is a grassroots campaign that highlights small business success and encourages customers to support small businesses in their communities.

The campaign is in its fifth year and is always on the first Saturday of December.

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Hosting the event at the Enterprise Centre were officials from the Federation of Small Businesses and among those attending were Eastbourne MP Stephen Lloyd and council leader David Tutt.

Mr Lloyd said, “Small businesses are vital to local communities and the Small Business Saturday campaign highlights how important it is to show support by shopping small and local.”

FSB research shows that for every £1 spent with a small or medium-size business, 63 per cent is re-spent in the local area – compared to 40p in every £1 spent with a chain or larger business.

Last year customers spent £717million with UK small businesses on Small Business Saturday, an increase of 15 per cent on 2015 spending.

However, the campaign is not just about retail.

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Small companies play a huge role in every single sector of the economy from finance to legal services, manufacturing to digital technology.

The FSB’s Clive Soper said, “The celebration of small businesses illustrates that each establishment in their own special way contributes to the character of this well-known and thriving Eastbourne shopping centre.

“Small Business Saturday is a great reminder to back small business with the power of your spending over Christmas and throughout the year.”

Michelle Ovens, the director of Small Business Saturday, said, “FSB members up and down the UK have supported Small Business Saturday since year one.

The support has been incredibly important, bringing local engagement, expertise and endless enthusiasm to the campaign - a huge thanks to FSB for being part of the team.”