Well according to the majority of Brits who participated in a survey commissioned by thebestof's last year - their high street is in decline and Supermarkets are responsible!

At thebestofharrow, we think it's interesting that there is still a strong perception that the high street is in decline - especially when it comes to local retailers and small businesses. And the recent rise in VAT can't of helped matters either!

But it's not all doom and gloom! There are lots of things that shop owners can do to compete with the major chains!

Special offers that are specific to your local area and building a reputation as a local champion can really capture the imagination of the community.

And how about making sure you are continually building and nurturing your database of customers, keeping in contact on a regular basis by email, text and through social media? These are all really powerful tools when it comes to connecting with and engaging with your customers but so few people use them! thebestofharrow can help you to do this because we will regularly send out emails to let local people know about your latest special offers!

Make sure you are wowing your customers at every opportunity! Provide really fantastic service to create ambassadors for your business amongst your customers and they will spread the word about the great things you are doing!

There really is no better form of marketing than word of mouth and that's why this approach is at the heart of everything we do at thebestofharrow!

Reward customers who are loyal to your business! So few local businesses do this but it's not hard to do and this is what the big chains like Tesco and Sainsbury's do so it's a good idea to learn from these strategies and to apply them in your own business.

Position your business as one of the best by shouting about accreditations, certificates and showing off all the great testimonials you have received from your happy customers! Turn your customers into local celebrities! This is a really effective way to boost your positioning in the community and it's something we do alot of here at thebestofharrow for that reason! If you're a local person, you can support local businesses by recommending them to others!

Take responsibility. If you're not getting enough footfall you need to do something about it! Find a way to make yourself enticing to local people. There are always ways to do it! Sitting back and waiting for local Government to something is a surefire recipe for failure so don't do it!

If you'd like to get your business booming then get in touch with your local thebestof representative. They'll be happy to help you make it happen!

And if you're a local person who wants to support local businesses in your town, check out the special offers we've got on offer from businesses in your town right now and buy from them instead of the big supermarket chains! Also you can support our Buy Local Campaign too!