Nia Griffith MP and Lee Waters AM have launched their campaign to promote small, local businesses in the run-up to Christmas.
The MP and AM were in Llanelli town centre on Saturday encouraging residents to shop local for Small Business Saturday. They also announced their intention to promote small businesses by sharing photos of their shopfronts and products on their social media sites throughout December.
The Small Business Saturday campaign takes place on the first Saturday of every December to support small businesses in local communities.
During the course of the day, Mr. Waters and Ms. Griffith supported the campaign by visiting businesses in the town centre. Both honoured the #10PoundPledge, which asks residents to spend £10 in a small business.
Lee had a Sunday roast, several sets of keys cut and bought an iPhone charger in Llanelli market, while Nia purchased a necklace at Peruse, a pizza in Simon J’s Pizzeria and a copy of local author Mary Powles’ new book from the John Street Gallery. The MP will be returning to the gallery shortly to choose one of Denise Di Battista’s paintings.
Nia Griffith MP said:“Small businesses really are the beating heart of our community. They bring a distinctive character to Llanelli and help to keep areas like our town centre alive.
“I was so thrilled to open two new businesses in the Stepney Arcade last month. On Saturday I met one of the new business owners, Leslie Gilbert, whose great work is helping to breathe new life into the Arcade and attract people into town. Leslie, and other hard-working shopkeepers like him, are a real credit to our community.
“Small Business Saturday is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the vital contribution local businesses make to our area. It’s important to remember to shop local all year round in order to sustain the success of small businesses and ensure they’re here when we need them.”
Lee Waters, who has recently joined the Welsh Assembly’s Economy Committee, added:
“Shopping local is not just a good way to support local businesses, it also makes economic sense for our town. For every £1 we spend in a small or medium-sized business, 63p stays within the local economy compared to 40p spent in larger businesses.”
He also took the opportunity on Saturday to highlight the new Development Bank of Wales (DBW), which has been set up by the Welsh Government to support the economy by making it easier for businesses to get the finance needed to start up, strengthen and grow.
“Small businesses need finance and I would encourage businesses in Llanelli to find out more about the DBW.”
