The Council has developed an ongoing marketing plan to strengthen the retail sector in East Lothian with the aim of developing town centres as distinctive and vibrant destinations offering a quality shopping experience all year round.

The plan will be driven by local retailers and other specialists determined to reverse the drop in town centre trade identified in a specific study of trends in North Berwick and Dunbar.

The key campaign message, which appears on a range of marketing materials, is Support Your Local Retailer and this will be used to launch a summer marketing initiative called Summer Shop Local which builds on a highly successfully Christmas campaign in 2007, Xmas Shop Local. Customers who use local shops will have a loyalty card stamped. Six stamps allow entry into a prize draw for five £50 shopping vouchers each week.

Participating retailers will be listed on the Council website and displayed in East Lothian buildings. Shops taking part will display a range of promotional materials.

Council Leader Dave Berry said: “The small-to-medium business retail sector is an important part of the mix which attracts visitors to East Lothian and underpins our residents' high quality of life. It is important that their Council invests in our town centres to develop the variety and choice of specialist shops that can enable local high streets to remain prosperous and vibrant.”

ENDS
Issued by Rob Sinclair, Corporate Communications, 30 April, 2008
T. 01620 827741 M. 07887675547 email rsinclair@eastlothian.gov.uk