Plymouth businesses bolster the local economy by buying local

In today’s digital age, where products are readily available from across the globe at the click of a button, a recent survey has revealed that over 98% of businesses based in the South West believe it to be of the utmost importance to buy from local suppliers.

The survey, commissioned by Plymouth based sign company, Signs Express (Plymouth), collated answers from over 1,000 business decision makers across the UK in order to discover their attitudes towards the local marketplace and the vital role that signage plays in the appearance and professionalism of a brand.

The research revealed that businesses based in the South West are the strongest believers in buying locally to help the region’s economy, with 57% choosing this as the reason, whilst only 49% of the rest of the UK chose this as the best reason to purchase local products. The other main reasons South West businesses thought buying local was a priority included the fact that they liked dealing with people that play a positive role in the local community and they believed that local businesses care more about doing a good job.

Chris Reilly, owner of Signs Express (Plymouth), said: “There is no doubt that buying online is becoming an increasingly dominant buying trend and this often means that we are less aware of where our purchases come from. However, buying locally, especially when it comes to perishable goods and specialised items that require expert advice and special skills, is always the best option.”

Signs Express (Plymouth) is just one of the Signs Express branches based in the South West, with branches also based in Exeter, Taunton, Bournemouth and Gloucester. All Signs Express centres offer the benefits of shopping local, but because of the business’ franchising model, it also offers the advantages that come from working with a UK wide organisation.

Concerning signage, the survey revealed that despite our increasing reliance on digital marketing techniques to advertise our businesses, 94% of businesses thought that signs, graphics and displays formed an important part of their marketing activity. In fact, 100% of those surveyed in the South West said that they would be less likely to do business with an organisation that has dilapidated signage.

Chris Reilly concluded: “The survey showed that professional signage is an integral part of most business’ brand strategy, which means great things for the signs and graphics industry. Also, it revealed that Signs Express customers would not only use our services again, but would also recommend us to others. An incredible 96% of participants would highly endorse our services and products, so we are immensely pleased that our hard work has paid off.”

For more information about the survey results or to find out more about Signs Express, please visit www.signsexpress.co.uk/plymouth