Dorchester celebrates 'Independent's day' as more shops arrive in town
Over the past year over 20 businesses have opened on Dorchester's high street.
Shops all over Dorchester are celebrating 'Independent's Day' today, and a year of growth.
This weekend marks 'Independent's Day', a national campaign to support and promote local businesses all year round.
Independents account for around 65% of the approximately 290,000 retail outlets in the UK.
In the past year more than 20 new local independent businesses have settled in Dorchester.
Phil Gordon from Dorchester BID said:
"Dorchester is I think quite high in the charts for the ratio of independents to multi-nationals. This is one of the reasons Dorchester has been such a successful town centre in the last few years.
"For example, Antelope Walk, that's a really good example of where independent businesses seem to be finding a natural home and working very well. It's a very pretty part of Dorchester and there are a lot of businesses going in there now."
Phil added:
"We have to my count 22 new shops and businesses that have opened since this time last year.
"If that isn't a sign of the vibrancy of the town and the fact that entrepeneurs and business owners have been drawn to Dorchester because they see it as a good place and a model high street then I don't know what is.
"The small independent businesses are what makes a town centre unique. They are the lifeblood of the high street. If you have a clone town and you have the same big stores as you have in every town or city, it's not easy to get excited about it.
"If you come to Dorchester every single back street, alley, arcade and the high street, there is a really good selection of independent's as well as the big multi's you would expect to see in town."