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Indie-Lancaster Launches Soon

The highly anticipated Indie-Lancaster leaflet is due to be launched shortly. To request a stock for your business, email [email protected].

The Indie-Lancaster guide, funded and created by Lancaster BID, showcases independent businesses operating in the Lancaster BID zone.

Indie-Lancaster is a guide to the wonderful independent businesses operating in Lancaster city centre and comes hot off the heels of recent popular similar publications from Lancaster BID. In October 2018, Lancaster BID launched the Real Ale & Tipple Trail, which showcases a range of bars, restaurants and activities available in Lancaster after the shops shut and the sun goes down.

But what exactly is an independent business? An independent business is typically privately owned and 100% responsible for their own business. Other variations of an independent business could include a cooperative or community ownership. Independents are typically single-store operations or have a limited number of outlets (up to 6) in a small geographic range. The owners of independent businesses are commonly entrepreneurs who have built the business from scratch.

Independent businesses are vital to city centres, as they provide opportunities for entrepreneurs and jobs for communities. Independent businesses also keep money close to home, and often support neighbourhoods and communities. In Lancaster city centre 62% of the businesses operating in the centre are independent and make Lancaster such a unique place to shop, visit and explore.

Comedian Hasan Minhaj once said that ‘Independent businesses give cities their shape, texture, colour, and taste – often literally’ and he wasn’t joking! Independent businesses are vital to the local economy as they bring growth and innovation, provide employment opportunities and attract talent.

The historic city of Lancaster lends itself to independent trade, with a plethora of ginnels, it’s easy to keep exploring new and exciting businesses operating at the other side of them. Shopping in Lancaster is so exciting, because you’ll find shops, gifts and clothes that you simply cannot find anywhere else- and shopping locally helps to keep it that way. In Lancaster, you won’t just find independent retail, but also independent cinema, theatres, bars and restaurants. They are the hidden gems of our city, nestled between the high street favourites that you know and love.

The leaflets will soon be available in the Independent businesses, VIC, museums and library.

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