THE LEADER has teamed up with businesses across Wrexham and Flintshire to celebrate Independent Retailer Month.

Led by retail champion Clare Rayner, the campaign runs annually throughout July to highlight the important role smaller, local, independent retailers play in the communities they serve, the local economy they contribute to, and in the retail sector as a whole.

As part of the campaign, which begins today, we will be putting our independent retailers under the spotlight over the coming weeks to find out more about what they do and hear some of their unique experiences.

As reported on the Independent Retailer Month website: "Independent retailers and consumer facing businesses are important.

"They are the life-blood of our local retail centres - towns, high streets, villages. They add social and commercial value to the places we work, live and enjoy.

"The value our independent traders add to our communities and our local economies has been proven. Statistics show that for every £1 spent with a local, independent business, between 50p-70p circulates back into that local economy.

"Buying locally supports local traders, their suppliers and the people they depend on to run their businesses. Buying locally boosts the local economy, rebuilding confidence in the community, enabling local businesses to prosper and grow.

"Shopping online or out-of-town may save a little time or a little money, but for every £1 spent only 5p trickles back into the local economy.

"Buying from local, independent businesses be they shops, cafes, salons, restaurants, market traders or whatever means we each are doing 'our bit' to keep our high street, town or village centre 'open for business'. It is genuinely a case of 'use it or lose it'.

"But this campaign isn't a 'bleeding heart' story - we want consumers to realise that ensuring a proportion of their spending is with independent businesses means they get more unique products, better service and an all-round more positive experience."