An independent retailer who spoke at the FWD annual conference underlined her commitment to National Independents' Week.
Linda Williams, who runs Broadway Convenience Store in Edinburgh, said involvement of her and her husband Dennis in their community was their point of difference from the multiples in their area.
For this reason, she said, they had welcomed the National Independents' Week celebrations in 2007 and had organised activities culminating in a fun day for residents.
She said: "It showed customers that we are about more than just taking their money."
She also praised the PR Action Group (PRAG), which organises National Independents' Week, for the way suppliers, wholesalers and retailers on the group act together to support the independent sector.
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