Mid Ulster residents to vote for their favourite independent retailer

Residents of Mid Ulster are being asked to vote for their favourite independent retailer as part of a campaign to help them reconnect with customers following the pandemic.

The campaign, run by Retail NI, is part of ‘Independents’ Month’, which celebrates the diversity of independent retail in Northern Ireland.

County Derry has a wide range of independent retailers in its town centres of Maghera and Magherafelt, as well as the surrounding villages and towns.

Customers can say thank you to their favourite retailer by lending them their vote, while there is also an opportunity to recognise efforts made by retailers during the pandemic.

Chair of Mid Ulster District Council, Cathal Mallaghan, encouraged residents to engage with the campaign.

“The Mid Ulster district is renowned for its niche selection of independent retailers right across our five town centres and villages,” he said.

“Following the extremely difficult and uncertain 3 months these retailers have experienced, we owe it to them to get behind them and not only cast our vote but to also illustrate our support in numbers by returning to our towns and villages and shopping local. 

“Many retailers went way above and beyond what was expected to continue to provide the excellent service we were accustomed to even in the most testing of circumstances.

“Now we are on the road to recovery I would call on all Mid Ulster residents to ‘reconnect with retail’ and rediscover our towns and villages, not only on Independents’ Day but all throughout the year, our local retailers depend on it.”

Votes can be cast online until noon on Friday, July 31.