WE ARE finally into December, and thoughts are well and truly turning to the festive season – indeed Penarth is already looking the part with the lights, Christmas trees and decorations providing a lovely welcome.

Unfortunately I won’t make it along to this evening’s Late Night Shop in Penarth event on December 1, as I will still be in Westminster, but I hope readers will be out in force to support our local businesses.

It’s a great chance to see what’s on offer, with shops participating around the town centre, Glebe Street and Station Approach.

Hopefully it will encourage more people to discover what’s available on our doorstep, and to make a habit of shopping locally - not just tonight and in the run-up to Christmas, but on a regular basis all year round.

I will of course be calling in to local shops before Christmas, and look forward to picking up some gifts for family and friends.

It’s also a good opportunity to talk to traders about the challenges they face, and I know that the support they receive from Penarth people is all-important, so I’d urge everyone to drop in and pay them a visit.

Small, independent businesses can be in a precarious position, and there can be a very fine line between success and failure – a month or two of poor trading, for whatever reason, can prove decisive, and owners do not necessarily have the luxury of time to wait for an upturn.

They are also competing against supermarkets, out-of-town shopping centres, people’s changing shopping habits with more purchases made online, and local factors such as transport, parking problems and rents.

Occasionally it proves impossible for a business to continue.

However the good news is that new businesses are continuing to open around Penarth, and others are going from strength to strength.

The distinct service and choice that small businesses provide is something we should all make the most of, and we should value the friendly, one-to-one service they provide.

It’s the reason why, as recently reported, I fully support the Penarth Times in its Your High Street: Use It or Lose It campaign.

I’ve also been supportive of schemes like Shop In Penarth and Small Business Saturday.

The latter is a nationwide annual event that this year takes place this Saturday, December 3, and you can find more details at smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/