According to the research, commissioned by American Express and carried out by Conlumino, 60p in every £1 spent by independent businesses goes back into the local economy. The research also revealed that small shops across the country are providing £537m worth of added-value services in the community — equal to £3,058 worth of time donated each year — and that people are more sociable if they live near small shops,

The most common examples of added-value services were checking on elderly and vulnerable neighbours and giving advice on personal matters. Areas with a higher proportion of independent, small shops were also found to increase social interactions between shoppers.

The research surveyed 2,034 consumers living in communities with local high streets and 134 small independent retailers across the UK.

More information can be found here.