Last year we started a series called ‘Keep the Pound in Pompey’ which started in the festive season to encourage local shopping.
Big brands and supermarkets will survive but your favourite local store may not be here in 12 months unless you support them. I will even try to avoid online giants like Amazon, after all who wants to spend an hour in the cold at the Slindon Street post office? Those queues are already ridiculous!
If you drive it can be so painful finding a parking space in Portsmouth and Southsea. The town can be a traffic tragedy at peak times and shopping on weekends with tail backs to Gunwharf Quays. Alternatively hopping on public transport, dusting off the bike or pulling on some cosy boots, hat and scarf can be a welcome alternative. If you live further outside the City a Park and Ride service is on offer every Saturday from Lakeside 1000 . It costs £2.50 for all day parking and this includes the bus journey to Edinburgh Road, for £1 extra you can carry onto Southsea.
Another thing I enjoy about my local shops is they know me and my family by name, they ask after my disabled son and reward loyalty with discounts and sometimes a cuppa, how good is that?
It would be great to hear in the comments section about your favourite shops and what makes them so special?
Brett
21 November
Long live independent shops and businesses! Im fed up with these huge chain shops and businesses suffercating the smaller shops and usually putting them out of business. Its great when you shop in a local shop and they know your name, the service is warmer, friendlier, and you can have a chat etc, and they sell more variety of individual goods, alot better than bland chainstores that litter our high streets and soul destroying shopping malls that sell mass produced junk. My rant over! hehe.
Stuart Barker
22 November
Hell yeah! We’ll be showcasing some of the local delights on offer in our local shops in the run up to christmas.
Jason e
22 November
I agree if you can shop locally all the better! Albert rd & southsea have some great individual shops & I’m planning to get as many presents from here!
Gareth C
26 November
Don’t forget you can still shop local in Gunwharf too – come over to us at Aspex and we’ve got loads of stuff from local makers and craftspeople!!