Axminster traders are counting down to Fiver Fest, which will kick off this weekend, encouraging shoppers to support their local high street.

More than 40 businesses have signed up to take part in the Totally Locally Fiver Fest, offering special £5 deals to customers in a bid to boost trade following lockdown.

The idea behind the event is that if every adult spent £5 a week locally that they would otherwise have spent online or with national stores, it would pump £1.8million a year into the Axminster economy every year.

The two-week campaign will get underway this Saturday (October 10th) with deals running until October 24th.

High streets up and down the country will be taking part in the Fiver Fest, organised by grassroots initiative Totally Locally, which has this year partnered with sponsor Visa.

Together they are calling on consumers to divert £5 of their weekly spend to support local businesses in store or online. With over half of consumers (52%) saying they could spend £5 extra a week with small businesses, Totally Locally and Visa are calling on consumers to make a change to their spending habits and shop with their local small businesses however they can.

Dominic White, head of merchants and acquirers at Visa, said: "We know that 2020 has been exceptionally challenging for small businesses so we're doubling down on our commitment of support. Visa is proud to work with Totally Locally in its mission to bring communities together, and we encourage all small businesses to sign up to Fiver Fest ahead of October 10th.

"The next three months will be such an important period for small businesses, so we are urging the nation to back the spirit of Fiver Fest and shop local, either online or offline, to help communities recover."

The Axminster branch of Totally Locally said there is "real hope for the future" if residents get behind campaigns such as the Fiver Fest and support their local traders.

They commented: "Independent traders are the backbone of a town like Axminster. Few national chains invest here, so the future relies greatly on the indies. If you support them, you are helping to keep your own town alive.

"There are strong signs right now that Axminster's fortune are changing. If we all do our bit to maintain the momentum there is real hope for the future, making Axminster even better for all our benefits."

You can find a full list of all 40-plus participating businesses and details on their special £5 deals on the Axminster Totally Locally website.

Axminster Nub News is also keen to support local businesses. You can advertise your business for FREE on our website by visiting our Local List page and clicking the black 'Nub It' button to simply enter your details.

We are also happy to run editorial on new businesses and ventures or business success stories - so get in touch with your news by contacting Francesca Evans on 07810 221 420 or email [email protected]