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Week of celebrations as more Independent businesses set to open...

Week of celebrations as more Independent businesses set to open

Ten years of championing Bury St Edmunds’ independent businesses will be celebrated next week as the town centre’s annual Our Bury St Edmunds Independents Week begins on Monday (June 29). The campaign is timed to coincide with ‘Independents Day’ itself on July 4, which this year will also see many more businesses able to open for the first time since lockdown.

Independents Week is promoted by the Business Improvement District (BID) Our Bury St Edmunds. Mike Kirkham, who is the BID’s Marketing and Business Support Officer is co-ordinating the week. He said: “I am so glad that many of our independent businesses will be allowed to open for all or at least part of this year’s Independents Week because a couple of months ago we were in a very different situation. Campaigns like this have a critical role in helping small businesses bounce back from the difficulties of lockdown.

“People have got used to buying online or just doing one big supermarket shop during lockdown so the ‘High Street’, or in our case Bury Town Centre, needs support more than ever. Spending just a few pounds with an independent business can make a huge difference and in Bury St Edmunds we have a wealth of them. Of course things are different at the moment and with queuing and social distancing in place impulse buying or browsing isn’t as easy. However many shops have adapted to include initiatives like call and collect which allows you to have your item saved for you, pay for it over the phone and then just pick it up safely when convenient.”

There are nearly 300 independent businesses in the town centre selling everything from jewellery to home furnishings and bespoke tailoring to crafted beers. Mike Kirkham added: “With the next phase of the lockdown being lifted to allow more businesses to re-open on July 4 we hope Independents Day this year will give everyone something to celebrate.”

Our Bury St Edmunds Independents’ Week runs from Monday June 29 to Sunday July 5. Details of all the independent businesses can be found at www.ourburystedmunds.com.