Keep Our Brilliant Businesses Bouncing

Stockport’s Will Mellor, Coronation Street bad boy and a star of Strictly’s class of 22, has once again thrown his support behind a campaign to keep Stockport businesses bouncing.

A continuation of last year’s successful shop local campaign, One Stockport’s Keep Our Brilliant Businesses Bouncing campaign launched at popular music and comedy venue Bask in Stockport Exchange, with the showing of a film featuring local businesses from across the borough. By working together, the businesses keep the business ball bouncing, while fundamentally encouraging people to shop locally and support their local business community. Just a little additional support can make a huge difference – if every household in Stockport spent just £1 extra shopping locally every week, an additional £6m a year would contribute to a more thriving local economy and support locally based businesses. 

The Keep Our Brilliant Businesses Bouncing campaign compliments both Stockport’s Borough Plan and Economic Plan. The Borough Plan provides an ambitious strategy to improve the lives of everyone who lives or spends time in Stockport; the Economic Plan’s mission is to support and grow our local economy, creating and supporting businesses to be stronger, resilient and productive, so that Stockport can thrive and build upon its successes. 

Despite challenges facing the UK’s High Streets, Stockport has seen an influx of unique independent businesses and attracted the attention of the national press. The Times described Stockport as ‘One of the coolest emerging districts in the UK’ and ‘a place to invest’ and listed Stockport as one of the top towns in the UK for first time buyers.

Steve Oliver, CEO of global tech reseller musicMagpie and Chair of Stockport’s Economic Alliance – representatives of Stockport’s major employers who meet regularly to understand and act upon issues within the local economy – welcomed the guests and reinforced the importance of making a commitment to support Stockport’s local business network:

“Financially, it’s proved to be a tough year. Rising costs have put a greater strain on all of us which is why, now more than ever, we need to be supporting our local businesses and investing in our local economy.

“We have a great variety of brilliant businesses in Stockport, business owners who have invested in our town. By shopping locally, we can help to secure their future and preserve the offer provided by our many unique and quirky independent traders who give us greater choice and value our loyalty.

“Not only does this latest film support those plans and show the personalities behind some of these brilliant businesses, but it is also a poignant reminder that, if we don’t support them, they may not be there for us when we need them. We all have a role to play because together we are stronger; by working together, we can be more assured of a bright future, for all of us.”

Will Mellor, whose sister runs the popular Mellor’s café in Romiley didn’t hesitate to renew his offer of support for businesses in his hometown:

“Like towns and cities across the UK, the latest cost of living crisis has been tough for all of us. But it’s hit the smaller independent businesses especially hard. Which is why we need to be thinking ‘local’ in everything we do. Whether we’re shopping, having a night out or meeting friends, let’s stay local and buy local and let’s keep the borough’s businesses bouncing!”

Full details of the campaign can be found at www.onestockport.co.uk