‘Shop Local For Christmas’ Message

OXFORDSHIRE shoppers are being encouraged to ?Shop Local? and boost business in the county?s towns and villages, and in Oxford, over Christmas and New Year.

As towns across the county prepare for their big Xmas light switch on promotions, the 1,000-member Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network (www.otcn.co.uk) has issued the ?Shop Local? message to encourage people to play their part in efforts to promote the vitality of our town and local shopping centres.

OTCN co-founder John Naish says: ?Christmas and the New Year is an absolutely crucial time for retailers and other traders in our towns and villages, and in the city of Oxford.
“With Christmas lights, special events and activities, and late opening, a huge amount of effort is made ? much of it by volunteers – to promote trade over the festive season. Our traders, town Chambers and Business Groups, often in partnership with local councils, work hard across the county to organise and run these activities and it would be great to give them the backing they richly deserve.
“We understand that people are attracted to major centres outside the county and that increasingly online shopping is a factor. But there is something extra special about shopping in our towns, especially at this time of year, and we hope everyone will make ?Shop Local? at least a part of their plans for Christmas and the New Year.”

The Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network links together local business groups and helps them share ideas and experience of the work that they do in towns across the county.
Thirteen town Chambers or business groups ? in Abingdon, Banbury, Bicester, Burford, Carterton, Charlbury, Chipping Norton, Didcot, Faringdon, Oxford, Thame, Wantage, and Woodstock – with 1,000 members between them – have already joined the Network. Three events networks: The Oxfordshire Womens Forum, The Late Breakfast and Wantage & District Business Breakfast Club have also joined, while five other town business groups in the county are discussing membership.

The Oxfordshire Town Chambers Network aims to help its member organisations share ideas, best practice, and experience of common issues that they are tackling in their towns in Oxfordshire, and engage group groups in lobbying local authorities and other decision makers.

SEE OUR SPECIAL ‘CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IN THAME’ FEATURE
for Christmas Shopping ideas here in Thame.
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