Indie Month Marks Launch Point

Independent Retailer Month marks launch point for indie focus by Bath BID.

Bath Business Improvement District (BID) is using Independent Retailer Month (July) as a launch point for a focus on helping the city’s independents to promote themselves.

As Louise Prynne, Chief Executive of Bath BID explains, “Independent retailers are hugely important to Bath. Their variety and individuality is central to ensuring Bath remains an attractive, interesting and vibrant shopping, leisure and business destination. It’s also been proven that more money spent through independents stays in the area, so their importance to the city cannot be overstated.

“Following liaison with independent retailers across the city, the Bath BID identified a clear need to help independents with a range of promotions and initiatives.

“Recognising the opportunity presented by Independent Retailer Month, we are working with the support of the Federation of Small Businesses, The Bath Chronicle, Total Guide to Bath and Bath Tourism Plus on initiatives to make it easier for independent businesses to work together and to give them a platform to promote themselves.

“This includes the BID investing in the Bath Chronicle that independents can take advantage of at a special rate. We have also prepared a toolkit that includes downloadable marketing material on the BID website, while Angela MacAusland from the Federation of Small Businesses came up with the great idea that all indies should display red, white and blue balloons outside their premises to draw attention to themselves during Independent Retailer Month.”

Angela MacAusland added, “The FSB is fully behind this BID-led initiative and delighted that it is open to the small independents who are below the threshold for paying the BID levy. It shows a holistic understanding of the importance of all business sectors and sizes to the success of Bath’s retail and leisure community. We encourage all independents to get involved.”

“This is all about inspiring collaborative thinking,” continued Louise Prynne. “We are engaging with independents through volunteer businesses representing key areas of the city, and underwriting initiatives to make it easy for them to promote themselves.

“The response and enthusiasm so far shown by independents has been very positive. I hope Independent Retailer Month will be the start of a more strategic approach going forward.”