Two thirds to buy gifts from local Scottish retailers this Christmas

More than two thirds of people in Scotland say they will buy Christmas gifts online from their local shops this year, a poll has found.

In a survey of more than 1,000 people by the Scotland Loves Local campaign run by Scotland's Towns Partnership, 68 per cent of those questioned said they would do some Christmas shopping from stores found on their local high street if they were able to do so online.

Footfall has plummeted on Scotland’s high streets since the coronavirus crisis began, with shops in some areas forced to close for prolonged periods of time.

The news comes as local shopping app, ShopAppy, which enables people to buy products and services from local businesses in their towns and cities, and have them delivered to their door in a further boost for local business, revealed 340,000 people are now using its service.

Santa shopping online as part of the Scotland Loves Local campaign.

The app, which is supported by Visa and NatWest, said that its users had trebled since lockdown began in March. Over 2,000 businesses across the UK now sell their products through ShopAppy in 170 towns across the UK.

Meanwhile, The Scotsman is running its own campaign, #supportlocal, to encourage people to buy from local businesses ahead of the festive period.

Retailers in Galashiels in the Borders have recorded a video to encourage locals to #lovegalashiels as business owners in the town gave gifts to each other.

The survey’s findings come just days after separate research for Scotland’s Towns Partnership found that just over two-thirds of businesses now have the capacity to take online orders, with a quarter of them having done so since the start of lockdown in the spring.

Galashiels Shop Local Campaign. The Scottish Borders town of Galashiels is promoting a shop local campaign to support local traders

Phil Prentice, chief officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, said: “It’s never been more important for us to support our local businesses in any way that we can.

"Christmas is the most critical time for retailers. A successful festive period could be what ensures many of our local shops survive into 2021 and remain there to help our communities recover from the impact of the coronavirus.

“Please do not forget them when shopping online. While many local shops are not able to open their doors at the moment, vast numbers of them are still serving their customers with online ordering and deliveries.

Galashiels Shop Local Campaign. The Scottish Borders town of Galashiels is promoting a shop local campaign to support local traders

“It’s vital we support them virtually where we can’t - or don’t feel able to - in person.”

He added: “More local businesses than ever before have websites. Search for them, support them and be there for them, just as they have been for us, throughout the pandemic.”

Glasgow and the west of Scotland is under level four Scottish Government restrictions, during which stores deemed as non-essential are closed.

Mark Diffley, director of the Diffley Partnership, which carried out the research, said: “The run-up to Christmas is obviously a key time for businesses on high streets and up and down the land.

Phil Prentice, director of Scotland's Towns Partnership.

"Our most recent polling highlights the intention of many Scots to support high street businesses, and the importance of doing so to maximise the chance that these businesses have of surviving in these turbulent times.”

Dr Jackie Mulligan, founder of ShopAppy.com, said: “It’s been a devastating year for local businesses on our high streets, but I have been overjoyed to see that their fighting spirit remains as strong as ever.”

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