Independent Retailer Month is an international campaign held every July to celebrate and support independent businesses. Its goal is to encourage consumers to shop locally and raise awareness of the vital role independent retailers play in our local communities and economy.
Businesses typically participate by running promotions, hosting events, and collaborating with other local brands. These activities help increase visibility, customer engagement, loyalty, and ultimately, sales.
Looking to get involved? This article outlines 10 proven strategies you can implement to drive sales and build community buzz during Independent Retailer Month.
Key Takeaways
- Collaborations with other local businesses can multiply customer reach – think shared promotions, giveaways, and bundled product offerings.
- Hosting simple in-store events during Independent Retailer Month, such as tastings or themed shopping nights, drives foot traffic and builds memorable customer experiences.
- Spotlighting ethical sourcing or your business’s sustainability values helps build trust and attract increasingly conscious local shoppers during peak retail periods.
1. Host a local event or in-store experience
If your priority is to draw in new footfall, make your brand or store the destination people want to reach. Events spark curiosity and conversation, and give people a reason to step inside. Here are some ideas to consider to celebrate Independent Retailer Month:
- Run a product tasting or hand out free samples (ideal for food and artisanal businesses).
- Organise a themed shopping day or evening with refreshments and exclusive discounts.
- Launch a pop-up store. Consider collaborating with another independent brand to boost reach.
- Host an educational day where customers learn more about your niche and products (an excellent idea if you offer handmade or sustainable products).
- Invite shoppers to meet the face(s) behind your brand with a meet-and-greet session.
- Set up a stall at your local market. You’ll find these in most towns across the UK. If you’re based in London, why not try to secure a stall at the Crystal Palace Park Market or Greenwich Market?
By offering a unique, in-person experience, you create positive word-of-mouth and connect with new customers who may never have stepped through your door otherwise.
The key is simplicity and relevance, keeping it low-cost but engaging. Promote your local event in advance on flyers, community noticeboards, and Facebook Groups, and list it on Eventbrite.
Author's Tip
Give yourself a few weeks to prepare for an event and launch with confidence. For smaller, one-off events like a discount hour, two weeks may be enough. You’ll need eight weeks or more for bigger events like opening a pop-up store.
2. Create a dedicated promotion
Customers love exclusive offers, and themed promotions are a direct way to drive sales while creating urgency. Try simple tactics like Buy One Get One Free (BOGOF) discounts, offering a gift with purchase, free shipping on orders placed in July, or loyalty rewards for shopping with you during Independent Retailer Month.
Themed, limited offers related to summer or school holidays are ideal for raising awareness and enticing shoppers to connect with small brands in July. Remember to take advantage of promotional resources to support your activities. Display posters outside your store or in windows, and use the Independent Retailer Month logo and hashtag in your online marketing to show customers you’re part of a wider initiative.
If you have any special occasions in mind for July, align them with Independent Retailer Month. Take this opportunity to offer a limited discount to celebrate. Sustainable clothing retailer Lucy and Yak did just that, offering 20% off everything on its 8th birthday.
3. Partner with other local businesses
Collaborations amplify reach. They help complement your offerings, can enhance your reach, and often unite like-minded entrepreneurs over a common goal. Here are a few collaborative strategies to consider for Independent Retailer Month:
- Team up with another local retailer to offer a curated gift set with products from both brands.
- Run a cross-promoted discount campaign with a partner business, offering exclusive discounts (e.g. 10% off in your store with proof of purchase from the partner brand).
- Host a joint social media giveaway. Ask customers to follow both companies and engage with a post, such as liking and leaving a comment, to enter.
Collaborations are most effective when built around shared values or themes. Partner with complementary local sellers to deliver more compelling offers and build lasting relationships in your community.
Wondering where to find partnership opportunities? Try:
- Independent retailer communities, such as Just A Card and Indie Retail
- Searching community boards in your local area
- Local chambers of commerce
- Searching for potential partners on LinkedIn
- Reaching out to your fellow marketplace sellers (if applicable)
Once you’ve found a great candidate, send them a message or arrange a coffee meetup to see where a collaboration could take you.
4. Launch a limited-time offering
Limited availability generates interest. Why not offer something new and exclusive during Independent Retailer Month to tempt both existing and new customers?
You don’t need to create a new product range – keep things simple but attention-grabbing by creating a seasonal flavour, a curated bundle, or goody bags. Add messaging like “Only available in July” or “We’ve only made X items” to drive urgency.
Spotlight your new offerings on your website, social media channels, and online marketplaces like Etsy and Not On The High Street to spark customer interest and boost engagement during this period. One example of this in action is from Buns From Home. Around Eid, the brand, renowned for its delectable cinnamon buns, launched a limited-edition Dubai chocolate bun, leveraging the current Dubai chocolate trend on social media. The campaign was a huge success, driving footfall while celebrating a key occasion, all without reinventing their core offering.
5. Leverage your online presence
Online platforms are your primary marketing tool when selling locally. Here’s how to make your online presence work harder during Independent Retailer Month:
- Showcase your involvement – Post fresh content on your social pages, specifically about the event. Share photos of your participation or insights about the campaign’s background.
- Capture attention with video content – Use Instagram Reels and TikTok to show behind-the-scenes footage and promote unique offers.
- Go live to increase visibility – Host short live sessions to highlight your activities and encourage community engagement.
These actions promote visibility and signal to online users that your business is relevant, trusted, and an active participant in local community activities.
Author's Tip
To expand your reach during the campaign, consider working with UK-based nano or micro-influencers. Use regional hashtags in influencer posts to reach a targeted audience.
How Wylde Jewellers drove event engagement on Instagram
Want inspiration from a successful UK independent retailer? Bath-based Wylde Jewellers demonstrates how to use Instagram to promote in-store events and drive local footfall during Independent Retailer Month.
In its recent social media campaign, the brand posted a vibrant Instagram carousel showcasing real customers visiting the store and winning exclusive prizes. The campaign featured:
- An urgency-driven caption: “2 DAYS LEFT!” to encourage last-minute visits.
- Behind-the-scenes shots and smiling winners to show authenticity.
- A call-to-action (CTA) inviting followers to pop into the shop and enjoy complimentary refreshments, creating a community-focused, feel-good atmosphere.
The campaign worked because it tapped into a fear of missing out (FOMO). Customers don’t want to miss out on a great deal, and creating a sense of urgency around your product or service entices people to act now, not later. It’s a clever marketing technique that turns browsing into buying. Another classic example of FOMO marketing is when hotels announce that there is “Only one room left at this price!”
6. Seek community outreach
You don’t need a PR agency to earn local coverage. A standout and well-timed blog, event appearance, or social media campaign can create opportunities for exposure in local newspapers or online news sites, on community radio stations, and on social media.
Craft a short pitch (e.g. blog or press release) around your event and explain how your business is celebrating Independent Retailer Month. Tie your activities to themes like sustainable shopping or local partnerships to resonate with a larger audience and prompt people to visit your store.
Author's Tip
Repurpose any flagship content, such as using a blog post as a springboard to craft an engaging email newsletter, to drive more attention to your small business.
7. Engage with existing customers
Your existing customers can become your biggest advocates. Use Independent Retailer Month as an opportunity to reinforce those relationships by:
- Reaching out to repeat customers directly with a short, personalised email.
- Offering loyal customers a token of appreciation.
- Inviting your most engaged shoppers to an ‘early access’ shopping hour (online or in-store). A VIP experience makes people feel genuinely valued.
If you want to thank customers, simply adapt this email thank-you template:
“Hi [customer’s name],
Your support means the world to us! To say thank you, here’s a little something just for you…
Enjoy X% off your next order with code ‘THANKYOU25’. Use it at the checkout on our site or present it when you’re next in-store.
Have a wonderful day,
[Your business name]
People love to feel part of something bigger than a sales transaction. By spotlighting your loyal customers, you’ll strengthen existing ties and encourage organic growth through word of mouth.
8. Create eye-catching storefront displays
Passers-by who are unfamiliar with your brand decide whether they will come in based on your storefront. Grab their attention during Independent Retailer Month with:
- Themed displays featuring local partnerships
- A “shop local” call-out
- Seasonal visual elements, such as celebratory messages
- Signage promoting your involvement in Independent Retailer Month
- A photo opportunity that customers can share online
- Merchandising tactics, such as chalkboards or bunting
For inspiration, here are a few examples of how other small businesses have decorated their stores:
These sorts of visual elements help independent businesses stand out from the crowd and convey their unique identity. They also help create an inviting atmosphere that encourages people to connect with the brand.
9. Use campaign hashtags
Hashtags are social media keywords, helping users discover relevant posts and accounts. During Independent Retailer Month, use these small business hashtags in your post to increase exposure and invite customers to choose small retailers over bigger brands:
- #IndependentRetailerMonth
- #ShopLocal
- #Local[your town]
- #Love[your town]
- #ShopSmall
- #Support[your town]
Author's Tip
Use a mix of national and local hashtags for maximum reach.
Not sure what to post about? Ask customers to share photos of their purchases and tag your business along with one of the above hashtags to build community momentum. You could also collaborate with a partner on a compelling post, like this one:
Miles & Barr, an independent, multi-award-winning property group in the UK, featured its client Kope + Loco, a small retailer, during Independent Retailer Month 2023. The post included a brief background on the retailer and hashtags such as #IndependentRetailerMonth, #ShopLocal, and #SupportIndependents.
10. Spotlight your values
Customers want to support businesses that align with their values. For small, independent retailers, this is a real strength over larger chains, and Independent Retailer Month is the perfect time to highlight this.
When shoppers see you prioritise actions like transparent sourcing, working with local suppliers, using sustainable packaging, or partnering with charities, it builds trust. These missions and values explain what you sell, why you sell it, and why customers should listen.
How can you use your values to boost your business, especially during Independent Retailer Month? All it takes is a few small touches:
- Label qualifying products – For example, place a sticker on products in your physical shop or use a banner on product descriptions online (e.g., “Locally sourced”, “Plastic-free”, “Organic”).
- Share your story online – Create a dedicated landing page on your website explaining what you stand for and why.
- Showcase your values on social media – Feature your ethical practices on Instagram, Facebook, or in a blog post to build an emotional connection with your new and existing customers.
When people understand and believe in what you stand for, they’re far more likely to become loyal customers, and many will even happily pay a premium for local, superior produce.
Celebrate and boost your small business this Independent Retailer Month
Independent Retailer Month is a powerful opportunity to showcase what makes your small business special, build stronger community connections, and increase both footfall and sales.
Whether through creative collaborations, limited-time offers, or engaging in local events, even one well-executed idea can deliver meaningful results. Start today by choosing an approach that fits your brand and watch your business thrive.
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Please note that the information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or professional advice. While our aim is that the content is accurate and up to date, it should not be relied upon as a substitute for tailored advice from qualified professionals. We strongly recommend that you seek independent legal and tax advice specific to your circumstances before acting on any information contained in this article. We accept no responsibility or liability for any loss or damage that may result from your reliance on the information provided in this article. Use of the information contained in this article is entirely at your own risk.
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