Shop Stamford is encouraging everyone to shop local this festive season.
It's after many independent businesses had to close again during the 4 week lockdown.
Last updated 24th Nov 2020
Independent shops in Stamford say they are 'desperate' to reopen in December, following another lockdown, which saw them close for another 4 weeks.
Boris Johnson announced yesterday that non-essential shops will re-open again when lockdown ends on the 2nd December.
Sarah Sewell, the founder of Shop Stamford and owner of Energy Clothing Stamford said:
"We are absolutely desperate to get open for December, it was a great shock for us all to close again after we adhered to all the measures and paid out to get the stores covid safe and then to be told we had to shut again was heart-breaking, because we were already trying to get back what we lost in the first lockdown."
"I don't think this lockdown has been very fair to independent businesses. I's like there is no lockdown, half the stores in Stamford are open,
"Sainsburys can let 200 people in at a time, I'm only letting in two people, everything is safe in here. It absolutely breaks your heart that other places can do it, but you can't."
"There's big chains open, there's markets on, which is great for the economy, but it doesn't seem to be fair on what is allowed to open and what isn't."
Like many other independent businesses, Energy Clothing Stamford will have to put in extra work over the Christmas period including opening for extra hours. But many say they won't ever get the money back they've lost now.
"What I'm really worried about is, I don't want another lockdown, and then we will be closed again in January. That's when our sale is on, which is another important month for our financial year.
If we are closed again in January, it's just going to be tougher and tougher to keep going as an independent business."
Shop Stamford is encouraging people to shop locally and independent over the Christmas period.