A PENARTH business has given its backing to Independent Retailer Month and called on residents to rediscover their local high street and show their support.

Peter Knowles and Andy Bradshaw, owners of Hamptons Penarth and the Blue Pelican Café, hope that the awareness campaign will encourage residents to shop locally, rather than doing all of their shopping with big-name supermarkets, online, or at out-of-town centres.

July marks the UK’s fourth Independent Retailer Month, which aims to raise awareness of thousands of local businesses and increase footfall into town and village centres, helping retailers to stay open for business, and to reduce the number of empty shops on the high street.

Peter Knowles, of Hamptons Penarth, said: “Independent Retailer Month is a really important time for shops and business like ours, and we’re calling on shoppers to come along and see what we have to offer. Penarth is a wonderful place; full of high quality independent businesses, so please do vote with your wallet in favour of them."

He added: “The number of empty shops on British high streets has hit an all-time high this year, and the only way to stop that happening is for people to visit them, and support them. While many people do shop for convenience online, or at one-stop centres, there’s no substitute for great customer service and that sense of community that comes with shopping close to home. We want to remind people of that, as well as keeping Penarth the hub we all know and love.”