Why Shopping with Small Brands is so important

Did you know that ASOS has a £30 million a year marketing budget? Or that when M&S is doing well, all other retailers feel the pinch? Or that big brands buy from much smaller brands, copy their ideas and then bring out their own identical versions at a lower price? I know because High Street brands have shopped from me and been so flagrant about it that they've had the order sent directly to their Heads of Design at their offices.

Small businesses are the creative heart of retail, but it's incredibly tough for small businesses, who lack the funds, contacts and marketing clout to cut through the noise and reach customers, who would absolutely love their products, if only they got to see them. Huge brands are flooding traditionally more affordable channels such as Instagram with big bucks, meaning that influencers are no longer wanting to work with small brands unless they can pay what someone like Amazon pays. I get it, influencers are earning a living too, but it's getting to the stage where big brands are crowding the small guys out. 

M&S has had an amazing season this year. It was very clever to sign up Sienna Miller, Claudia Winkleman and Bella Freud. But, honestly, do you think Sienna Miller actually wears those pieces or do you think it's more likely she shops at more exclusive designer stores? It's genius marketing, but is it authentic? And, where is the originality? Do you want to wear the Sienna collection because you honestly love it or because you've seen it everywhere and have FOMO?

Obviously, as a small brand founder, I have skin in the game. I know how much passion, attention and love small brands pour into their businesses. How decisions about yarn, whether a dress should have an inside trim or a jumper have an elongated cuff are agonised over for hours. I also know that many small brands use the same designers and factories as high-end established names. The quality is just as good as high-end brands, but often not as expensive. It's certainly better than many mass-produced high street collections.

I've been chatting to a lot of small business friends over the last few weeks and the story is the same. It's tough out there. These are businesses who make incredible, unique products that customers absolutely love. But these are also businesses who may not be here this time next year if people don't shop with them. So, this is my plea....make an effort to shop with a small business. It doesn't have to be me (although that would be great!) but maybe someone else. And if you don't shop with them, then please support them in other ways - like or comment on their social media posts, tell friends about them, actively search them out....

Yes, Amazon is easy and M&S is great. But, do you really want to live in a world, where Amazon and M&S are the only businesses left to shop at and everyone dresses the same? Because, if we stop supporting small businesses, then this, sadly, is what will happen...