Shoppers are being urged to stay local and support local businesses this Christmas.

Local MP Ben Lake is encouraging Ceredigion residents to support their local shops in the run up to Christmas and beyond.

After a year of upheaval for independent businesses, and ahead of Black Friday weekend, Visa has released key findings from its upcoming report created in partnership with Cebr (Centre for Economic & Business Research).

The socio-economic report launches alongside Visa’s Where You Shop Matters Christmas campaign, championing local, independent businesses.

According to the report, for every £10 we spend with a local business, more than a third (£3.80) stays within the area, showing the value of shopping locally.

By choosing to shop local this Christmas, consumers could double the amount of money that stays in their local area at a critical time for Wales’ small businesses.

The research also found that currently UK customers spend just over a fifth of their money locally, however they would be willing to spend half of their money with local businesses.

Over half of those surveyed (54 per cent) say it’s important to them to shop locally because they know how much their custom means, while 43 per cent say they get a boost of happiness when they support local shopkeepers.

Consumers also believe that local businesses contribute to their community by employing local people (49 per cent), making the area into a nicer place to live (39 per cent) and keeping it vibrant and buzzing (38 per cent).

Mr Lake said: “Where we choose to shop matters. While for many of us, shopping locally can be a convenient way to purchase goods and services, for local business owners our custom is crucially important, especially in these challenging times. Supporting local businesses this Christmas will have a profound impact on how our communities recover.”

Mr Lake has also supported a cross-party motion in Parliament calling for the UK Government to pay the postage for online shopping from local retailers.

The Early Day Motion states that such a scheme could incentivise shoppers to buy from a variety of local businesses and calls on the government remove the “delivery cost burden” which many shops are now facing.