The FWD My Shop Is Your Shop (MSYS) campaign has welcomed research which revealed that more than three quarters of smaller retailers believe that support for their local community is good for business.
Research from entrepreneur think tank Tenon Forum reveals that 78% of UK entrepreneurs working in the retail sector say that supporting their local community is good for business. And the smaller the company turnover the bigger the commitment to local life.
Support ranges from using local products and local suppliers to sponsoring local charity events, teams and organisations, and many retailers also give time or money to nearby causes, with three quarters raising funds for local charities and 71% donating employee time or company services to charitable events.
Alan Toft, MSYS chairman, said: "Support from bodies such as the Tenon Forum is very welcome. It will help to spread the principle that MSYS has established - that the giant national corporates, as successful as they are, cannot with credibility claim the high ground when it comes to serving local communities.
"This is yet more evidence that the small local retailer has a huge part to play in their local community - it's a unique contribution to society."
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