Why shopping at independent retailers this Christmas is its own reward

Consider small businesses when you plan this year’s Christmas shopping. As well as helping you find unique, handpicked gifts that will be treasured for years to come (or gleefully devoured in 10 minutes), shopping independently puts money back into your local community. This Christmas, between 7 and 22 December, American Express is offering £5 back when you spend £10, once per merchant, up to £50 – all the more reason to go independent. Here, three small shop owners relish the joys of Christmas preparations ...

‘The people who work with us are engaging, passionate and genuinely love our produce’

… says Patricia Michelson, who runs La Fromagerie, an award-winning cheese shop in London.

“Christmas is a great time for cheese. During December, the shop becomes very festive – we’ll stock specially aged cheeses for gifts and hold Christmas-themed events; I want shopping with us to be an ‘experience’ and for people to really explore. That’s why we don’t have counters – instead, you’ll see staff walking around, sharing advice and expertise.”

• Patricia Michelson: ‘I want shopping with us to be an “experience”’

“La Fromagerie was born by accident – on a skiing holiday in Méribel, I stopped at a little shop to try some local cheese. It was so delicious that I tracked down the cheesemaker and bought more to take home (it turned out to be Beaufort). Except, my bad French meant I accidentally ordered an entire wheel – 38kg! My husband and I kept it in our garden shed, and I started selling it to local restaurants, before opening a market stall at Camden Lock. Soon, I was importing it and in 1992 I opened my first shop. Now, we have three and sell everything from wine, locally-baked bread and charcuterie (the Beaufort is still incredibly popular too), and we make our own jams, chutneys and relishes. Shopping independently can be incredibly rewarding – the people who work with us are engaging, passionate and genuinely love our produce. Our relationships with suppliers go back years.”

• Joanne Johnson at Form SE15

‘I take great pride in choosing responsible brands I really trust’

… says Joanne Johnson, who runs Form SE15, an independent clothes and lifestyle store in Peckham, south London.

“Although I only opened the shop last year, because I’ve lived in Peckham for 18 years, I’ve got to know the locals – and what they want – pretty well. When you visit an independent store, you’re buying things somebody has curated especially for that area, and for the people there. I know a lot of the customers personally, so I’ll often order in clothes especially for them in their size, or in colours I know they’ll like. Shopping independently means you’ll find Christmas gifts that you won’t see on everyone else – some of the brands we stock promise ‘postcode exclusivity’, which means that they won’t sell to other shops in the area. I take real pride in choosing responsible brands I trust. One of our footwear suppliers, for example, is fully sustainable with recycled soles and biodegradable uppers. Our angle has always been quality – encouraging people to buy less and really care for it – over fast fashion. Our service is tailored towards the customer: we want to say thanks for choosing to spend your money with us, and to return that kindness in the service we deliver.”

• Baker St Cakes; owners Nailah and Naeem Mohamed

‘Christmas is a particularly special time for us’

… says Naeem Mohamed, owner and head chef of Baker St Cakes, an independent cake shop in Leicester.

Related: The answer to a stress-free Christmas? Just do you

“Baking has always been a huge part of my life, but one thing I could never find was macarons – especially halal ones. I ended up making my own and invited people to try them via social media – that’s actually how I ended up meeting my wife, Nailah. In 2016, I left my job and opened my shop, which Nailah and I now run together. As an independent business, we respond directly to feedback – changing flavours monthly, for example – and we handpick suppliers, using local producers for our cream, butter, milk and fruit. And we have great relationships with our customers – we regularly receive cards and flowers as thanks, which means a lot. Christmas is a particularly special time for us because, years ago, we had a stall at the local Christmas market. We spotted a vacant shop opposite our stall – and it’s the shop we’re in now. I love dressing the premises up and putting a local-made wreath on the door. Helping customers pick gifts for loved ones – like a box of handmade candy cane macarons – is lovely.”

Important information
Applicants must be UK residents, aged 18 years or older. Approval subject to status. Terms and exclusions apply to earning cashback. All information including Rep APR is correct as of 7 October 2019. Interest rates link to the Bank of England base rate. See americanexpress.com/uk for more information. 5% cashback on your purchases made in the first 3 months up to £100. Card membership begins from Card approval. Introductory offers are not available to anyone who has held a personal American Express Card in the last 24 months. Cashback will be payable at a rate of 0.5% on spend up to £5,000; 1% on spend more than £5,000. There is a minimum annual spend of £3,000 to receive cashback. Cashback is not earned on non-purchase transactions.

American Express Services Europe Limited has its registered office at Belgrave House, 76 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 9AX, UK. It is registered in England and Wales with company number 1833139 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.