That’s the message from a Hampshire high street who are the latest traders to join our campaign to support local shops and producers.

Dozens of traders in Hythe have thrown their weight behind the Daily Echo’s new Buy Local, Shop Local campaign.

Shopkeepers, restaurant bosses and shoe shops are among the small businesses in the town that have pledged to do all they can to promote the importance of the small shop.

Daily Echo campaign posters are now appearing in scores of shop windows across the community.

One shop owner who knows all about the benefits local shops bring villages like Hythe is Gloria Brown who is the sales manager of Magpie Fashions.

Gloria, who sells wedding outfits, cruise wear and prom outfits in the shop which has been in Hythe for 15 years, said: “People like to shop locally because they don’t like to travel all the way into Southampton and Bournemouth. Without local shops like this one Hythe would die. But you also get more personal attention with local shops compared to chain shops.”

Another trader who gave our campaign the thumbs up was Carol Pass who has been running neighbouring gift and florist shop The Secret Garden for eight years.

She said: “If people keep going out of town and go to the big stores all these shops will close down. If people shop locally they will find things that they will not find anywhere else. They will also get personal service that they won’t get in big stores in the city. I always bend over backwards to help people.”

With the credit crunch and economic downturn on everyone’s lips it is vital for shoppers to dig deep and spend their hard-earned cash in high street shops.

This could mean buying your fruit from the village grocer or picking Mother’s Day presents from the local gift shop-the campaign is about spending money locally.

Managing director of giftware and homeware store Aroma, Simon Troke, said there are many benefits to supporting your local traders.

He said: “We believe that we offer customers excellent customer service and a wide variety of choice. You don’t have to pay extortionate prices to park when visiting Hythe either. People can just pop down here and can find the products they are after without having to go to the city centre.”