Are you buying British?

We all understand the need to support Britain’s economy. According to financial services giant KPMG, the UK economy is experiencing “renewed signs of stress”, owing to a cocktail of pressures, from high inflation to hefty interest payments, national debt and rising taxes.

This means there has never been a better time to support the nation by buying British. Wandering through the supermarket, I see more and more people checking out the provenance of the food they put in their baskets, picking the apples that were grown in Kent over those imported from Morocco. But often, the drive to buy British ends with the food shop.

I am planning some work to be completed on my house. When I asked the designer where she was sourcing materials from, she told me: “Germany”. I was flabbergasted. Why ship wood, cement, tiles, or slate from Germany when we produce all these things here? She hadn’t considered the positive impact she could make by switching to local producers.

These days, we can shop from all over the world with a tap of the screen. But let’s consider the benefits of choosing local companies instead.

UK exports to the EU are still down. Britain’s businesses – especially smaller companies – are still feeling the impact of Brexit. Exports to the continent are depressed, even though seven years have passed since that landmark vote. We consumers can help ameliorate that shortfall by purchasing from UK producers.

British-made means high quality. Whether you’re buying meat, fabrics, furniture, software or electronics, we produce products and services that are staggeringly good. In British manufacturing, for example, most companies now have a minimum of an ISO 9001 accreditation. There also tends to be greater transparency when buying locally – you know how and when things were made, using which labour and what materials.

Buying British does more than put money into the economy, it helps to create jobs, stimulates innovation, keeps industries and skills alive, maintains some unique and important aspects of British culture, and helps the UK become more self-sufficient in the face of growing global uncertainty and unrest.

Buying local can reduce your carbon footprint because goods have less distance to travel, and tend to come from shorter, more efficient supply chains. Items that are bought here will be easier to repair, or to find replacement parts for, creating less waste.

Investing in British technology helps us shine on the global stage. When you buy British, you are investing in our homegrown ecosystem, helping tech companies to keep at the forefront of global tech, hiring the best talent, and bringing new products to market.

At BigChange, we are proud to be a Leeds-based tech company, partnering with many outstanding UK brands while taking our knowhow and talents out into the wider world. Our customer service team is based here, and are only ever a phone call or message away – no offshore call centres here.

Buying British doesn’t mean closing ourselves off – there are things we can’t make on our small island. But we need to support the industries that are based here whenever we can, even if it means taking a little more time with our buying decisions.

Could you make the swap to British product or service today?