QUEANBEYAN retailers are rallying together in the hope of enticing more residents to shop in their own backyard rather than across the border.
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'Keep It Local - Shop in Queanbeyan' is a one day shopping event which will see participating retailers offer specials and promotions from 10am - 3pm on Saturday, December 13.
The event will conclude with a free afternoon tea in the courtyard in front of Main Street Shoes. Member for Monaro and Minister for Small Business John Barilaro and Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre executive officers Graham Baxter will be present.
The 'Keep It Local - Shop in Queanbeyan' event has been organised by the Southern Region Business Enterprise Centre together with the recently launched Queanbeyan Women in Business Group.
"The Southern Region BEC is an advocate for small business and we see this event as an opportunity to showcase the great, small businesses we have here in Queanbeyan," SRBEC partnership broker Paula Van der Heide said.
Therese Patsos of Main Street Shoes has been a retailer in Queanbeyan for two years and is looking forward to participating in the event.
She said the main aim of the event was to remind locals of the business community they have right at their doorstep. She said what local small businesses lack in size, they make up for with good old-fashioned customer service.
"People like to come in and have a chat, they feel it's personal and you give that little bit extra. People would prefer to have that than walk into one of the bigger stores and stand there waiting for someone to serve them," she said.
"It's about getting people into town to see what the shops are all about and hopefully it will be successful and we could do it annually."
A list of participating businesses will be published on a flier prior to Keep It Local - Shop in Queanbeyan. It will be made available from local businesses from Wednesday, December 3 and shoppers will need to have it with them in order to redeem the offers on the day.
Another participant, Deborah Olde of Elements Body and Face has been in town for a decade. She said business trading had slowed down but hopes the 'Keep It Local - Shop in Queanbeyan' event will reinvigorate business in town.
"[When I first started] it was fantastic. [Queanbeyan was] a bit of a hub, quite busy. Things have slowed down... I think this would be one of the slower years," she said.
"We have to support each other and if we don't, where do we go from there? The community support us and we support them and that's how communities work."
Keep It Local - Shop in Queanbeyan will be held on Saturday, December 13 from 10am - 3pm.