Community Shops and Local Food

Local shops are often the heart of the community and the Community Shops and Local Food project aims to help community-run and traditional independent shops to stock and sell more locally produced food, thereby also creating valuable retail outlets for small-scale producers.

 Recent research shows that 70% of consumers would like to buy more local food & drink (Source: IGD), that 64% of consumers are willing to pay slightly more for locally produced food & drink, and that 65% thought their local shop increased their sense of community (Source: NOP/ACS).

What is the Project Doing

A practical guide is available to help community-owned and village shops identify, stock and sell more local food and drink. As well as guidance, this will include point of sale materials to use in-store and tools to help shops market their ranges and communicate their message to customers, whether existing or new.

The shops involved, and small local producers, will be supported by specialist advisers who will assist in implementing and sharing important networks, ideas and skills.

Our aim is to work towards doubling the amount of locally produced foods that are sold through the shops involved in the scheme up to 2012.

We are running the project in stages. We have recently completed a pilot stage and are now looking to recruit more shops onto the project. Find out more>

Who is Involved?

The Plunkett Foundation, through its Community Owned Shop activity (formerly ViRSA), supports rural communities in the setting up and running of new community-owned shops where existing services are being lost. They will be delivering this area of the Making Local Food Work programme by drawing on their expertise and networks.