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The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has said it will back a new campaign launched by Refundable, a consumer membership brand, to introduce a ‘Shop Out to Help Out’ scheme.
According to the group, the campaign, similar to the Eat Out to Help Out scheme launched last summer for the hospitality industry, would assist in giving independent high street retailers a “boost” during a “difficult transition back to normality”.
Refundable said the scheme would act as a “lifeline to businesses, providing them with a safety net as they emerge from restrictions” – with the group reporting that more than 17,000 shops have “closed permanently within the last year”.
Back in April, Bira called for the government to introduce a Shop Out to Help Out scheme after a similar initiative was launched in Northern Ireland.
To get the campaign off the ground, Refundable is encouraging both consumers and small businesses to sign a petition requesting that parliament discuss the launch of a Shop Out to Help Out scheme.
Andrew Goodacre, Bira CEO, said: “Last summer, the hospitality industry had the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, now the independent retail sector needs the same support in a Shop Out to Help Out initiative.”
