Independent shop owners are desperately trying to work out how they can compete for trade with the likes of Amazon this Christmas, as they prepare to close the shutters for lockdown once again.

During one of the busiest retail periods of the year, small businesses relying on high street footfall will be closed throughout November, a time where many people would normally begin their shopping for the festive period.

Phil Holden, owner of Mr Books in Tonbridge , said the business had barely got back on its feet after the first lockdown ended in July.

Now he will have to rely on people ordering through his website or by phone and choosing his business over the online mega stores.

Taking to Twitter and plugging the website for online orders he wrote: "I'll be honest. I'm not confident that we'll make it through much of 2021."

The business has only made roughly half the amount of money it was projected to at the beginning of the year.

Mr Holden said: "The hope was that the run up to Christmas would be better and that would begin to compensate, and then we'd look at how the new year panned out.

"But if we're going to close down for month - and who knows if it's longer - that's a different issue.

"I know there are lots of businesses in a similar position, and ultimately you've got to make a decision about whether you will continue to support the business or not."

The publishing industry typically ramps up towards the Christmas period with high-profile biographies and awards like the Man Booker Prize, in the hopes that the books will be purchased as gifts for friends and family.

Whilst people will be able to purchase books from the store's website or order them over the phone, Mr Holden is now exploring new ways of drumming up holiday season trade.

He is now looking at joining Bookshop, a new online store hoping to unite local independent book sellers onto one site.

Pitted as a local alternative to Amazon, the organisation's affiliate programme pays a 10% commission on every sale, and gives a matching 10% to independent bookshops.

It also claims to give away more than 75% of its profit margin to stores, publications and authors.

But when it comes to the premises, Mr Holden is not convinced it will be generating much cash at all for the rest of 2020.

He said: "Even if we get back to opening in December, we've effectively only got a couples of weeks of selling and we'll still be under some kind of restriction."

In an attempt to support Mr Books, Mr Holden's son also took to Twitter to encourage people to keep supporting local businesses through the lockdown if they could.

Jack Holden says people need to think about supporting their local businesses if they can

Speaking to KentOnline, Jack, an actor and writer who grew up in Tonbridge, hopes people's experiences of the last lockdown will remind them how important it is to stand by those businesses in their local area.

The 30-year-old said: "If we want inbetween lockdowns to be able to go out and visit our high streets, then there needs to be things there to visit. Where we can I think we really need to try and support our local independent shops.

"Amazon have got it down - it's super quick, super easy and often at greatly-reduced prices.

"We've seen the levels of wealth that Jeff Bezos and the other tech billionaires are building up and good on them, but if you are going to buy people books this Christmas or indeed for this lockdown, have a think about whether it's worth saving that pound or few pennies, or whether you can add that extra money and see it as a donation to keep your local high street alive."

He added: "It doesn't make masses of money. This isn't about my dad being able to buy the yacht he always wanted, it's about keeping that lovely part of Tonbridge vibrant and diverse and making it a place people want to spend time."

It comes as the chief executive of Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce urges people to wait until lockdown is over on December 2 to resume their Christmas shopping, so local businesses can benefit.

Jo James said: "I think we really do all need to start supporting our local economy - if a shop is closed but it has click and collect or it delivers, do that.

"If not, spend the time, write you list, be hyper organised, then get out in the shops in your local town in December."

In an effort to bolster local high street spending in Canterbury post-lockdown, the city's Business Improvement District (BID) has launched a gift card to be redeemed at restaurants and local shops.

The BID team is encouraging people to give Canterbury Gift Cards instead of Amazon vouchers or similar this Christmas to ensure the city continues to thrive.

Some of the 80 businesses signed up include Fitzgerald Jewellers, Burgate Books, CeX and Fenwick.

Lisa Carlson, CEO of Canterbury BID, said: "As we enter a second national lockdown, it is more important than ever to support local businesses. If we can get more people buying the card as opposed to generic online vouchers, it could literally save people’s livelihoods.

"It’s a great, easy gift for family, colleagues and teachers. The card features so many different retailers, you can effectively give someone a full day out in our beautiful medieval city with one card. It is like giving Canterbury as a gift."

Other retailers are calling on the government to announce further financial help for small businesses, who could lose out on crucial holiday season footfall as a result of the lockdown.

Richard Tozer, owner of Petticoat Lane Emporium, on Dumpton Park Drive, Ramsgate , said the Prime Minister needs to act now to secure the future of small businesses across the county.

Mr Tozer's business, which relies on people wandering in to look at the various antiques, collectables and retro items on display, has no way of pivoting the business online for the next month.

He said: "We're shutting the doors on Wednesday, and other than that I can't make any real plans until there is a suggestion from the government as to how they're going to support businesses in the same way as they did last time.

"If they don't offer the small businesses, hospitality, any financial lifeline, that's going to be a massive hit to the economy.

"There are so many business that have struggled up until now, but they keep going because of the previous grants."

He added: "To go through another one at Christmas, a massively important time of year for many businesses - I think so many will go. It'll be huge."

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