DIYWEEK.net

This year's Enjoy an Independent Easter campaign is urging retailers to get involved with a special Easter egg hunt to divert consumers away from out-of-town retail parks, major chains and online giants, to smaller, local independent businesses.
The initiative is part of the wider Support for Independent Retail campaign that focuses on getting local independent businesses to create 'activation events', which will be fun and also have a positive social and economic impact locally.

Enjoy an Independent Easter will run from Saturday March 23 to Sunday April 14, capturing the whole of the standard school holiday. Shoppers will participate in an Easter egg hunt, visiting participating shops on special maps and collecting virtual eggs - egg-shaped stickers. When all the eggs have been collected the shoppers will win a prize of a real chocolate egg, a certificate for children and a chance to enter a prize draw.

Anyone wanting to run an Easter egg hunt in their area can visit www.indieeaster.co.uk/easter-egg-hunt/partners to find out more. Activation partners can be anyone willing to front the activities in their area - a business group, a retailer, a town centre manager or a member of the council. A final list of all activation partners is needed by February 8.

Along with Enjoy an Independent Easter, the Support for Independent Retail campaign also organises Independent Retailer Month and Celebrate an Independent Christmas. Together, these three campaign events create a nationwide effort to improve footfall in high streets and to boost retail sales.

The campaign was founded in 2012 by retail champion Clare Rayner.