‘That purchase could stop them closing their doors’: Territorians urged to shop local

LAST-MINUTE Christmas shoppers are being urged to get their gifts from Territory businesses to help them bounce back from the impacts of COVID-19.

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LAST-MINUTE Christmas shoppers are being urged to get their gifts from Territory businesses to help them bounce back from the impacts of COVID-19.

Acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison said Territorians should also head to local shops for Boxing Day sales.

“When it comes to those Boxing Day sales too, don’t get sucked in to those online sites, don’t go shopping online,” she said.

“Get out. Go visit the mall, go to Casuarina, go to Coolalinga, go to Gateway.

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“Make sure that you support a local job, a local business in the Territory by buying local this Christmas.”

Bookshop Darwin manager Sean Guy said the shop was particularly reliant on Christmas sales after a tough year.

“It’s been a pretty tough year,” he said. “We rely on Christmas trade to stay open next year basically.”

Mr Guy said he had noticed a boost in sales because of a combination of Territorians staying home for Christmas and a reluctance to buy online because of delays due to COVID-19.

“We’ve always found Darwin goes quiet over January, February, so it’d be interesting to see this year if people do go away again,” he said.

Manager of the Bookshop Darwin Sean Guy encourages locals to shop at a store with a door. Picture: Katrina Bridgeford.

Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive Greg Ireland said now was the time for Territorians to support their local businesses.

“These people have made lifelong investments, in many cases, in the Territory,” he said.

“There’s still a considerable amount of financial pressure being applied to owners of small businesses and every little bit helps. That purchase could be that one that stops them closing their doors, and then we lose them forever.”

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The NT government released its Buy Local Plan in 2018, with the third annual Buy Local Plan compliance report being released this month.

In it, the NT’s Buy Local industry advocate, Denys Stedman, said he was “unable to conclude whether the Buy Local Plan has had a positive effect in increasing procurement spending by the NT government with Territory Enterprises”.

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