As the festive season approaches shopping local has never been more important to Hitchin businesses.

With Christmas coming up our town's wonderful independent shops have never needed YOUR support more.

Nub News is a big supporter of local businesses, highlighting offers on your high street, as well as showcasing Hitchin companies, groups, organisations and charities.

So, here's our brilliant town centre manager Tom Hardy as he gives his view on just why it is so vital to shop local and support Hitchin's brilliant independent stores this Christmas.

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My message would be: Shop local. It's very much a case of use it or lose it.

Because what's going to happen if people pour money into Amazon is that we will lose our town centres.

It's painful to see so many of our retailers who rely on November and December to survive the quieter months in the new year, forced to close during this second lockdown.

It is not only a huge financial blow for our town centre, but it may force a large number of our much-loved businesses to close permanently.

I really hope that the residents and users of Hitchin town centre will step up on December 2, come out, and support our town centre this Christmas.

The town is not just a theme park for people to look at.

You have to spend money there to support local businesses, to support our community.

To ensure those shops still exist.

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Hitchin BID is working hard to keep up the momentum of the town centre offer through their social media campaign, interactive shopping map, video compilation, voucher scheme and Christmas Market, which starts on December 3.

Add your business to our ever-growing number of companies and services on our FREE Nub News Hitchin directory.