Public urged to get behind Inverness city centre businesses
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Inverness city centre is open for business – and people are being urged to spend their money locally to help support our shops, bars, cafés and restaurants.
Today, the Courier launches a new campaign, Getting Inverness Back to Business, to highlight the fact that the city centre is now safe for shopping and for going out.
During the lockdown, many local businesses quickly adapted to help serve loyal customers – by delivering products quickly and efficiently across the city and further afield, working in new ways and putting local customers at the heart of their enterprise.
Now these businesses need our support more than ever.
In association with Inverness Business Improvement District (BID) and the Inverness Common Good Fund, the Inverness Courier is calling on the public to get out in the city centre and help bring back the normal buzz and vibe of the Highland capital.
Councillor Graham Ross (Inverness West, Independent), chairman of the Inverness city and area recovery committee, said: “I think we need to get back to some sort of normal and we need to build up people’s confidence in getting back to the city streets.”
He said he had never seen anything like the lockdown in his lifetime and it had been “eerie” seeing the city centre so empty, and now it was important to attract people back.
The area recovery committee is planning a number of projects aimed at helping with the process – including the additional space already being put in place in some city centre streets to allow easier travel for pedestrians and cyclists.
Cllr Ross said he was confident Inverness could recover post-lockdown.
He said: “It shows a vibrancy in the city and it’s just about confidence for people to get back out as they get used to the new format, such as wearing masks in shops.”
He said as restrictions were further eased, such as hotels reopening this week and bars and restaurants now able to reopen inside areas, it would all help with the total recovery process for the city.
“People need to make sure they give businesses their custom to make sure they are around for the long term,” he added.
Council leader Margaret Davidson (Aird and Loch Ness, Independent) who runs Abriachan Nurseries at Loch Ness-side, was pleased that businesses were now able to reopen and that people were starting to return to the city centre, with signs of normality on the horizon.
She added: “I am really pleased the farmers’ market is returning in August.”
She said people would get used to the new arrangements in city shops and cafés – such as one-way systems and hand sanitiser – and that would increase people’s confidence. She added: “I think that makes the difference.”
Cllr Davidson said the campaign could also “remind people what they are missing” and, once tourists started to return, footfall would gradually increase.
She said: “I am delighted to see that people are starting to go shopping and are supporting their local businesses.”
Inverness BID manager Mike Smith said: “Inverness city centre is the economic driver for the area, and indeed the whole of the Highlands, so it is important that we attract as many people into the city centre as possible as we start the recovery from Covid-19.
“On behalf of the city centre businesses, Inverness BID would like to thank the Highland councillors from the Common Good Fund for supporting this fantastic campaign.
“The city centre has a rich mix of businesses, from retail and hospitality, almost all of which are now reopened and are there for the public to enjoy.”
Inverness MP Drew Hendry backed the Courier’s campaign, and said: “Having looked after each other throughout the Covid-19 emergency by following the rules and restrictions, it’s crucial that we now turn to look after the local shops and services we used to take for granted.
“They need us now more than ever, and with new protective measures in place, they are working hard to welcome us back to them. We are lucky to have many terrific local businesses, and I’d encourage everyone to look to spend as much of their shopping budget with them to support our local community.”
Inverness and Nairn MSP Fergus Ewing, the cabinet secretary for tourism and the rural economy, also welcomed the campaign.
He said: “All of us want a thriving city centre in Inverness and so all of us should get behind the campaign to bring the life – and custom – back to the heart of the city now that the Covid restrictions are being gradually lifted.
“By using local shops we help them to recover from the losses sustained when closed because of the Covid-19 lockdown. I hope we can shop local in order to support our businesses – and in particular small businesses. Well done to the Courier, the council and BID in organising this campaign.”
