The annual Independents’ Day UK campaign to promote and support local, independent retailers will culminate with two days of celebrations this year highlighting Britain’s indie retailers across Friday 4th and Saturday 5th July.
Against a difficult economic backdrop, the campaign’s organisers are asking consumers to support local independent retailers, by spending at indies across the weekend.
“The UK’s independent retail sector is resilient, creative and adaptable and provides employment, choice and quality of service to local communities throughout the country,” Howard Robinson, a spokesperson for Independents’ Day UK, said.
“That’s why we hope that the public will show their support by simply heading out across the weekend starting on Friday July 4th, spend few pounds and enjoy everything that is great about our independent and locally owned retailers.”
This year’s campaign will be sponsored by leading Italian coffee brand Kimbo, a supplier to cafes, coffee shops, restaurants, pubs, bars and hotels throughout the UK.
“Supporting local independent coffee shops, cafés, and restaurants helps keep our high streets vibrant, backs passionate small business owners, and ensures unique flavours and friendly faces stay at the heart of UK communities,” Damon Wilson, Kimbo’s UK Commercial Manager, commented. “So, we’re really happy to be part of this initiative.”
Independents’ Day UK is supported by and works closely with, among others, the British Independent Retailers Association (Bira), the Independent Retail Consortium (IRC) and the Association of Town and City Management (ATCM).
An estimated 25,000 independent retailers engaged with the campaign in 2024, along with more than 100 different town management teams, business improvement districts (BIDs), chambers of commerce and local business groups across the country.
With more than 50 years’ experience, Kimbo is one of Italy's biggest and best-known coffee roasters. Its wide range of blends represents the art of Southern Italian coffee. It specialises in sourcing, blending and roasting the finest quality coffee in the traditional Neapolitan style, bringing the finest Italian coffee blends to the UK market.