Keep Derek’s Candles Burning: Why Small Business Saturday Matters

This Small Business Saturday, it’s more than just shopping it’s survival. With rising costs hitting local shops hard this December, your support could be the difference between a neighbourhood full of life or just another empty storefront. Let’s shop local, together.

Small Business Saturday is upon us, on 6th December, otherwise known as the one day a year where the nation collectively remembers that Jeff Bezos isn’t the only person who sells things.

And this year, it’s more important than ever.

Thanks to the latest government budget, rising costs, and bills that seem to multiply like festive gremlins, December has officially become “The Hunger Games: Retail Edition” for many small businesses. Behind every cosy shop window is a hardworking owner running on hope, caffeine and the faint belief that this might finally be their “big Christmas”.

While big corporations have marketing teams, neon ads and enough money to launch products into space, small businesses have… well… Derek making handmade candles in the back room and Sandra trying to remember how to reboot the card machine.

So yes, this weekend, they need us.

Shopping local isn’t just a nice idea. It genuinely keeps your neighbourhood alive. Every coffee you buy, every gift you choose, every “Oh go on then, I’ll treat myself” moment goes straight into supporting real people: the families who live nearby, the entrepreneurs trying to survive the season, the ones who know your name and don’t treat you like a walking barcode.

Plus, let’s be honest: buying local is way more fun. You get items you won’t find anywhere else, wrapping that doesn’t look like it was done by a robot, and customer service from someone who’s deeply invested in whether you find the perfect scented candle (probably Derek’s).

This December, small businesses aren’t just hoping for holiday cheer, they’re counting on it. With your help, they can weather the rising costs, keep their doors open and maybe even enjoy a mince pie without worrying about overheads.

So this Small Business Saturday:

Shop local.

Shop kind.

And help keep the heart of your community beating, one small purchase at a time.

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