We’ve reached the halfway point of the Sutton, Cheam & Worcester Park Independent Shops competition and the response by local shoppers has been fantastic.
With one voter being picked at random to win £100 to spend in the winning shop there is every reason to spend a couple of minutes voting at www.suttonlocal.org.uk.
Hundreds of residents have voted for their favourite local shop and many retailers have been encouraging their customers to support them.
Raising the profile of these retailing gems was the main reason for me holding the competition.
Every mention, tweet, letter or poster helps to publicise the shops that don’t have the marketing budgets of the big stores.
But it also helps start the conversation about what we need to do to make our shopping areas vibrant and successful.
A couple of optional questions on the voting form ask for your views on this.
I’ll report back on the views expressed but I would also be interested to see what people think here on the letters page in the weeks to come.
Eighty-eight different shops have attracted votes so far but there is still plenty of time to help your favourite shop win the accolade of Independent Shop of the Year 2013.
Cast your vote at www.suttonlocal.org.uk and say thanks to those shopkeepers who work hard, take significant financial risks and keep flying the flag for buying locally.
Paul Scully; Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Sutton & Cheam
- Have you got something to say? Say it in a letter and send it to: letters@suttonguardian.co.uk.
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