Shop Local On Small Business Saturday

Local traders want your support this weekend

Turnham Green Terrace

Chiswick residents are being urged to shop locally as Small Business Saturday takes place this weekend, Saturday 1 December.

Cllr Jo Biddolph, who is spearheading a drive to revitalise Chiswick High Road and support independent traders, working with her councillor colleagues and local businesses, has come up with a list of ideas of where local residents might go to shop.

• Acton Lane/Chiswick Terrace: from the High Road to the mini roundabout outside Chiswick Park tube
• Bedford Corner: where South Parade meets The Avenue
• Chiswick Common Road: off Turnham Green Terrace
• Chiswick High Road west of the junction with Sutton Lane North and Acton Lane
• Chiswick High Road opposite Chiswick Business Park
• Chiswick High Road east of Turnham Green Terrace to Ladbroke Grove
• Chiswick High Road on the south side from Devonshire Road to Chiswick Lane
• Chiswick High Road on the south side between Devonshire Road and Turnham Green including a seasonal pop-up
• Chiswick High Road including Stile Hall Parade: between Chiswick roundabout and Kew Bridge
• Chiswick Lane: just a couple of shops down the west side
• Chiswick Lane South: the brewery shop of Chiswick's family run brewery

• Cunnington Street on the corner of Antrobus Road: a corner shop
• Devonshire Road: both sides including a pop-up that’s only here till 2nd December
• Elliott Road: two restaurants and a barber

• Essex Place Square: at and next to the market stalls
• Fauconberg Road: easy to reach on the E3 bus
• Fisher’s Lane: just one shop all on its own
• Fromow’s Corner: on the corner of Arlington Gardens
• Grove Park Road: near Chiswick Railway
• Gunnersbury Lane: from Acton Town tube station to Gunnersbury Avenue (by tube or E3 bus)
• South Parade: from The Avenue to Chiswick Park tube station and round to Evershed Walk
• Southfield Road: at the top of The Avenue
• Strand on the Green: from Kew Bridge

• Sutton Court Road: one shop at the very top, another coming soon
• Sutton Lane North: slightly hidden if you walk down from the north

• Thames Road: a few shops before going riverside
• Turnham Green Terrace: both sides from Chiswick High Road to Bath Road

• Turnham Green Terrace Mews: easy to walk past, do walk in
• Wellesley Road: just before the bridge, walking west

She says, "We would love to see your discoveries, your favourites and your purchases on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram using the hashtag #ChiswickIndieShops or #ChiswickChristmasShopping.

Small Business Saturday, an initiative that originated from the United States, is now held annually and last year, it saw the profile of local businesses rise as residents and visitors were encouraged to visit independent shops and spend time in their local High Street as they hunted for Christmas gifts.

Last year customers spent £743m with UK small businesses on Small Business Saturday, an increase of 4.3% on 2016 spending.

Traditionally this is known as a busy shopping day as people start to think ahead to the festive period, with just three full weekends left before it is Christmas Eve.

The event is also aimed at creating a more long-term boost for local businesses and the communities they are in and to encourage people to make use of their local traders and local shops.

Devonshire Road

The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) says that with over 1 million small firms in the capital, everyone could do more to support independent businesses with the high costs of doing business.

"As it has done in previous years, Small Business Saturday has been a great way to underscore the range and diversity of the country’s small businesses, which make up 99.9% of all private firms in the UK."

The FSB says: "Many small firms within physical premises are hamstrung by the high costs of commercial space. Business rates are still extremely high and FSB has identified more cases of commercial landowners failing in their duty to support their tenants through ‘uncompetitive and unfair’ rental increases and leases that do not reflect the wide ranging nature of business.

"Responding to a call to all landlords from FSB London, we are delighted that Transport for London have become the first landlord to publicly release a ‘Statement of Support for small businesses’ which will hold them accountable to the 1800+ tenants under their control.

"This Small Business Saturday, FSB London Region are calling on all landowners in the capital, with over 500,000 square feet of floor space in their London portfolio, to monitor and report on their corporate structures by providing an annual ‘supporting small business statement’."

A new ‘Statement of small business support’ will help tenants who are:

1. Adversely affected by their rent reviews
2. Concerned with the level of account management by landlords;
3. Being forced to opt out of the 1954 Landlord and Tenants Act that provide extra protections to small tenants.

November 29, 2018