4 Ways to Support Local Businesses in Bristol This Christmas

Christmas. No sooner is it over than it seems to creep back around again! We know that the most organised amongst us have gotten well on top of their Christmas shopping long before the Christmas lights in and around Bristol are even turned on.

It’s been a tough year for many this year with a cost of living crisis and lots of economic uncertainty. And perhaps one group of people who really feel it are the small, independent and local business owners. 

Here in Bristol we have such a thriving independent business scene with an incredible array of quirky, creative and frankly wonderful local businesses run by some of the hardest work people in the city. 

So, as convenient and easy as it is to buy online from the like of Amazon and other big retailer, we’d love to see more people shopping local and supporting the incredible businesses in the city in the run up to the festive season. Here are four ways in which you can. 

Support Your Local Florists 

Loads of us send a Christmas bouquet or two as Santa’s packing his sleigh. The rise of online flower retailers with distribution centres (where flowers are delivered in boxes by the likes of DHL or Evri) has been notable. While this makes it easier than ever before to send flowers anywhere, it also often cuts out the really important local, independent florists. 

Getting flowers hand tied and delivered by your local florist means they’re delivered to your door (or the door of your recipient) directly, hand tied with love and even come with a hand written card. It’s hard to beat that. 

Christmas flowers from Direct2Florist are all fulfilled by local florists. They work with over a dozen small, independent florists in and around the wider Bristol area. So you get the convenience of ordering online for delivery to Bristol wherever you are - and get the personal touch of having a local florist design, create and deliver. 

Support Bristol’s Breweries and Distilleries 

Many of us will gift a tipsy tipple over Christmas. We tend to spend more on boozy beverages in December. And as residents of Bristol we’re fortunate to have some incredible brewers and distillers on our doorstep. 

So why not shop local, support the local economy and enjoy an indulgent tipple or two at the same time? 

The Chew Valley Distillery and the 6 O Clock Gin Distillery are amongst the distillers in the area. Bristol Beer Factory has a whole host of beers. And Arbor Ales are also brewed in Bristol. 

Whatever your tipple of choice, take a look and see if you can find someone making it locally. 

Love Bristol Gift Card 

Not sure what to buy the person who has everything? A Love Bristol gift card allows them to spend at around 130 businesses in Bristol including restaurants and shops, with many local and independent businesses to choose from. 

So you get to support local businesses and tick another one of the gift list. 

Shop Local in Bristol 

As tempting as it is to click and forget and do all your shopping online, making a day of it and going to independent shops in Bristol has a host of perks: 

• You get to support incredible local businesses and entrepreneurs 
• You get unique gifts that not everyone can simply buy on Amazon 
• You get a fab day out in Bristol shopping and can even take a coffee and lunch stop at one of the fab independent cafes 

For the fashion lovers in your life, you can buy gifts from independent retailers like Fox & Feather, Rhubarb Jungle and Loot Vintage. 

The city is home to independent music shops like Wanted Records and plastic wax. 

Indie craft retailers include Kiln Workshop and Creativity. And you can even shop local for toys in the likes of Playfull, Totally Toys and Toyville. 

In other words, whatever you’re looking for, there;s probably a local business in Bristol that has it. 

So maybe skip the click and collect this year and support our brilliant Bristol local business scene.