'˜Shop local this Christmas'

Colr Gardiner said: “We have a growing range of locally owned business with a fantastic selection of goods and services, from local gift shops stocking Irish made goods to photographers, bookshops, hotels, restaurants, beauticians, hairdressers- you can get it all wrapped up in Derry.

“I understand families can be under pressure at this time of year to make their money stretch but every pound spent in a local business is so much better for our local economy.”

Colr Gardiner pointed to a recent report which states that buying from locally owned businesses keeps money circulating in the local economy, by these businesses, in turn, using other services and employing local people.

“If we all make an extra effort to support local business then we can slow down job losses in the region and better still, reverse it,” she said.