A Virtual Christmas Market is being planned for the coming weeks to help retailers and traders following such a strange year for us all.
It’s hard to imagine a Christmas period without the official light switch-on by Christmas in Boston accompanied by the Illuminate parade and market with festive activities throughout the day which is usually held in Boston on the last Thursday of November each year.
But for this year, with the pandemic still prevalent, Boston’s most popular event has been called off altogether and visitors to the town over this period has extremely reduced.
Last year, one local business said that they make the majority of their sales on the week of the annual festive events. But the lack of physical markets isn’t going to stop our spirits, and locals have already found a way to support one another.
Many Facebook groups have been set up and advertised and this is already proving to be a valuable resource for local businesses during the busiest shopping period of the year.
So we have created an online presence where businesses can promote their goods for free from the safety of their own business or home. Any business advertising on this platform can sell anything from dog treat hampers to bespoke Christmas wreaths.
If you are interested in taking part in this Virtual Christmas Market please email a short description of the items you would like to promote with your contact details, including a phone number if possible, and up to three photos to covidcomms@boston.gov.uk
Councillor Tracey Abbott, portfolio holder for town centre services, said: “With lots of usual Christmas markets and events cancelled this year over Lincolnshire as a whole, small businesses may be negatively affected.
“To help overcome this, we’ve moved the usual fun filled events online! This way customers can still shop and browse, retailers can still sell and advertise, but this time from the comfort of their own homes whilst staying safe!.”
After such a difficult year for so many small business owners, now’s the perfect time to start shopping closer to home.
The Virtual Christmas Market will be live from Thursday 26th November at https://www.visitbostonuk.com/virtual-christmas-market/