Totally Locally Fiver Fest returns to Knutsford

Knutsford is taking part in its second Totally Locally National Fiver Fest on 10 – 24th October, joining thousands of independent businesses across the UK to highlight their contribution to the Great British high street.

Sandra Curties, Knutsford Town Council’s Town Centre and Marketing Officer said “Fiver Fest is now a big part of our promotions for Knutsford. The independent shops and businesses are what makes our town special and unique. We appreciate it when our community support us, so these offers are to say thank you for that support, and to show just what great value our local businesses are.”  The businesses taking part are –

Copper 29

Cranford Cafe

Dexter & Jones

Hal Whittaker

Hooked on the Heath

Jonty’s Fruit & Veg

Kanoa Living

Knutsford Art Shop & Stationery House

Mr Simms

Neki Cafe

Plastic Free Weigh

Real Fruit Creamery

Sheldon’s Dairy

Style Loft Boutique

Roberta Beauty Re-Defined

Techno Type

The Market Butcher

The Tea Room

Williamson’s Bakery

Woods the Butchers

FIVER FEST is a free to join campaign, devised and run by Totally Locally, a grass roots High Street organisation that has been helping businesses and High Streets to help themselves since 2010 with incredible results.  For this Fiver Fest, Totally Locally is partnering with Visa to encourage even more small business owners to sign up to this celebration of independent high streets. Together, they are also calling on consumers to divert £5 of their weekly spend to support the small businesses in their communities.

Fiver Fest is based around the now famous Totally Locally £5 message:

“If every adult in Knutsford spent just £5 per week in their local independent shops and businesses, it would mean £2.6 million per year going directly into our local economy. Which can lead to more jobs, a better high street, a stronger economy & a nicer place to live. Makes you think doesn’t it?!”

Fiver Fest has been running successfully in individual towns in the UK and abroad over the past 7 years, but in 2019 the team at Totally locally brought together towns across the country in on big Fiver Fest celebration. 43 towns joined in and he result was phenomenal with reports of new customers, people rediscovering shops they hadn’t been into in years and huge sales of £5 offers. Over then two consecutive Fiver Fests, the number of towns taking part has now reached over 100.

Fiver Fest Offers have been imaginative and varied; from £5 massages, to a £5 local meat packs, £5 best-selling book offers to £5 lunch deals and even axe-throwing for £5.

“We know Fiver Fest isn’t going to change the world”, said Chris Sands of Totally Locally, “But small changes in spending habits can really make a difference to our high streets. Just by diverting £5 of our weekly spend to local independents we give them a fighting chance to thrive. It’s a conversation worth having!”.

It is for this reason, that the fourth National Fiver Fest is taking place. This time it’s even more important than ever after how our world has changed during 2020. YouGov research has shown that 59% of shoppers have used more local shops to support them during lockdown.

For any independent business wishing to participate in the Fiver Fest in Knutsford please contact Sandra.curties@knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk

For further information please see www.totallylocally.org and www.fiverfest.co.uk

Photo by Sandra Curties of some of the retailers taking part

Left to Right (from back) Julia Chard of Mr Simms, Jonty Page of Jonty’s Fruit & Veg, Jane Mooney of Williamson’s Bakery, Vicky Assinder of Copper 29, Jane Smyth of Style Loft Boutique,  Melanie Naylor of Knutsford Art Shop & Stationery House, Kate Kindred of Techno Type, Jakki Simister of Jonty’s Fruit & Veg, Roberta  Dyer of Roberta Beauty Redefined

Totally Locally was founded in Calderdale, West Yorkshire in 2010 by award winning brand and marketing expert Chris Sands.

There are now over 60 towns in the UK who have gone ‘Totally Locally’ with the full ‘Town Kit’ and has reached as far as New Zealand, USA and Australia. Chris decided to give away the campaign, after he was inundated with towns after the success of the campaign in Calderdale, where he lives. “I just wanted to see what would happen!” he said.

Totally Locally is a marketing kit for any town to use to promote their independent businesses using key marketing messages including ‘The £5 Message’, ‘The Magic Tenner’, ‘Fiver Fest’ and to encourage a new way of working together for independent businesses. Fiver Fest started as part of this, but has now become its own event.

Totally Locally Towns have won High Street of The Year Award in Crickhowell in 2019, Hebden Bridge in 2018 and Belper in 2014. Other Totally Locally towns have won national and regional awards.

In 2015 Chris received an Honorary Doctorate from Staffordshire University for his work helping in the grassroots led regeneration of towns across the world.

Pictured - Left to Right (from back) Julia Chard of Mr Simms, Jonty Page of Jonty’s Fruit & Veg, Jane Mooney of Williamson’s Bakery, Vicky Assinder of Copper 29, Jane Smyth of Style Loft Boutique,  Melanie Naylor of Knutsford Art Shop & Stationery House, Kate Kindred of Techno Type, Jakki Simister of Jonty’s Fruit & Veg, Roberta  Dyer of Roberta Beauty Redefined. (Photo by Sandra Curties)