St Ives town mayor Pasco Hussain is encouraging people to support their local high street by shopping locally this winter.
In an interview with The Hunts Post, Cllr Hussain, stressed that shopping locally was even more important now.
He said it had been a tough 18 months for businesses during the pandemic and retailers and food outlets needed the support.
Councillor Hussain said: “As a mayor and a resident I have always been encouraging people to shop locally because it is the hub of the town.
“We need these shops and a lot of them are family owned businesses and they have been here a long time.
“We need people to shop locally more than ever now, because of the Covid pandemic and the hardship that people have experienced in the last couple of years.
“So us a council and residents and even as a visitor we need to come into town centres. St Ives is a lovely town with so much character, it has some really nice family and unique shops.”
St Ives has several markets to offer and these are a Monday market, a Friday market and a Farmer’s Market which is on the third week of every month.
Councillor Hussain said: “They would really love if you came and supported them, more than ever because these are just some of the businesses that keep our community going.
“So they need the community to support them at these difficult times and we all need to stick together.
“If we watch each other’s back, we will come through this stronger.
"If you can’t get a particular item or book a table somewhere, businesses in St Ives are great at supporting each other and will recommend that the person tries somewhere else in the town.
“We are very well-connected community in St Ives and we all help each other and we have found that where people come together and are willing to help volunteer with events, it’s just humanity at its best.
“We need everyone now to stay together and please try and shop local, not only will it help the businesses, but it’s great to get out in the fresh air, it’s good for your health.
“It’s positive all round.”
Owner, Marlo Gilbert of the Manifest shop on Merryland street in St Ives, has a handful of local based stockists who supply the stock in her shop.
Marlo sells a variety of things from handmade soaps, to jewellery, to crystals and more.
Marlo said: “Once we saw the light switch on over the weekend, the trade really started to pick up, we are hoping it will carry on from then.
“It has been brilliant since summer and we are picking up for the winter months now.
“I will be encouraging people to shop locally this winter, to shop with local independence, as an independent myself I look after other independent makers.
“We supply through them too, so when people shop local, they are supporting all the other local artist, makers.
“I have handful of local makers who make soaps for us, we have about four or five that provide jewellery as a silver smith so she does sterling silver and we have a variety of other things such as weavers and craft makers."
Martin Cooper, the owner of the Ikigai shop in St Ives also believes in supporting people to shop locally.
Martin said: “For us posting on social media can be very helpful to small businesses like us.
“There are 15 to 16,000 people in the town and if everyone was to spend a pound in local businesses, imagine the difference that could make to those places.
“I feel supported by other businesses in the town, some people come into my shop after not being able to find what they were after.
“We have been doing really well since we opened and especially in the last few weeks, with COP 26 in the news.
“People who weren't aware before, are now becoming more aware which is great.”
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