Trade Local Day 2025
July 14, 2025
For tradespeople who need to get the job done, buying tools or materials might seem more convenient with larger retailers or online giants. But when you hand over your hard-earned money to these multinational corporations, it’s worth asking: where does that money go?
The truth is, when you spend with bigger players, your money is swallowed into a vast system – filtered through multiple channels. In short, it loses its power. What’s a pound really worth when it disappears into this system?
But when you spend locally, the same pound becomes powerful. Every transaction with your local independent plumbing store, bathroom showroom or builders’ merchant supports local jobs, family-owned businesses and your wider community.
Shopping at an independent store helps keep that business alive. It’s a simple truth, but it means a lot to the owners of these independent trade counters and showrooms.
Every sale makes a difference. Helping to pay staff, stock shelves and invest back into their business, providing their customers with a greater and better range of products and services to get the job done. It’s a positive cycle that benefits everyone.
To say small businesses matter to employment is putting it mildly. According to the UK Government’s Business Population Estimates 2024 report, 47% of the working population was employed by a small business, with wholesale and retail trade being the most significant contributors.
This means that, wherever you are, you are likely not too far away from a brilliant independent plumbing store, bathroom showroom or builders’ merchant. And when you shop there, you directly contribute to greater local employment opportunities from counter staff and warehouse teams to apprentices starting in the industry.
Plus, independent stores are often staffed by experienced professional who know their products. That means you’ll get expert advice and unrivalled service.
Unlike the larger players, independent stores have the freedom and flexibility to stock what you actually need. This translates into a better and broader range of products available off the shelf that you need but might not be able to find elsewhere.
From hard-to-source parts to unique bathroom designs, an independent store can likely offer it all, which can be the difference between finishing a job on time or falling behind.
Independent businesses don’t just serve their communities – they’re part of them. From sponsoring local sports teams or donating time and materials to projects in the community, they give back not because it makes them look good, but because they care.
This kind of support wouldn’t be possible if locals didn’t choose to shop there. Every pound you spend contributes to this web of mutual support. It’s more than just a transaction – it’s a vote for community.
When you spend your money with a larger player or an online retailer, it is impossible to know where that money ends up. But spend with an independent business and your money is more likely to stay within your community.
Local stores are more likely to work with local suppliers, hire local trades and partner with other nearby businesses – from delivery drivers and tradespeople to printers and accountants. That money then circulates through shops, cafés and services around you – a local-economy-boosting idea that economists refer to as the “local multiplier effect”.
Whether it’s job creation, excellent service or the community benefits, the reasons to shop with an independent plumbing store, bathroom showroom and builders’ merchant are in your favour.
To see the impact for yourself, get involved in Trade Local Day on 9th September – a joint initiative from The IPG and IBC to celebrate our local independents fuelling the plumbing, bathroom and construction industry.
Visit your nearest member of The IPG or IBC and enjoy exclusive deals, giveaways and more in-store. It’s a day you need to be part of.