We are very fortunate in Langholm to have a wide variety of independent shops selling high quality goods.  At a time when the newspapers are full of doom and gloom about town centres becoming “clones” where many high streets contain the same old line up of shops, we can be justifiably proud of our unique, family run businesses.

The headline in The Daily Telegraph (17th Feb) was “Nightmare on High Street”, referring to a sales slump in the shops being at its worse since 1945.  The downturn has affected every kind of retailer, from food stores and supermarkets to furniture and household goods stores. Economists blame not only the rise in Internet shopping and the increase in the levels of debt taken on by households, but also the poorer shopping experiences that high streets have to offer. Studies have shown that many shopping areas are “clone towns” with no individuality whatsoever.

In the run up to Christmas for the past four years, the Langholm Initiative has run the successful SHOP LOCAL voucher campaign.   The response was very encouraging and shoppers from surrounding areas like Annan, Gretna and Hawick participated.

We hope that locals will use and re-use them when they are out and about, and that visitors from all over the world will take use them to take away their gifts – pies, tablet, haggis, jewellery, giftware, whatever. – The message is that Langholm is a special place to shop, not a clone town.

It is now even more important that businesses, especially shops, have full information on the community website.  To update an entry or submit new information, please contact Janette, Jane or Judith at The Langholm Initiative, 013873 80914.  An entry on the website is currently free of charge for members of the Langholm Initiative.