Residents encouraged to #ShopLocal, #ShopSafe in Mid and East Antrim

A newly established Town Centre Recovery Group is leading the way in ensuring a safe and sustainable return to normality for shops and businesses throughout Mid and East Antrim.

Headed up by Council with representation from key local business leaders, the group has been focused on helping retailers in our three main shopping towns reopen their doors safely, so that shoppers can have peace of mind that all appropriate measures are in place.

With all non-essential retail now open, and the planned reopening of hair, beauty and nail salons by July 6, there has never been a better time to #RediscoverMEA and all that our borough has to offer.

With a unique mix of niche and national retailers, Mid and East Antrim’s shopping towns are ready and waiting to be enjoyed.

Mayor, Cllr Peter Johnston, said: “Our business community, from retail and services, to tourism and hospitality, and everything in between, has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic.

“As we move through the recovery phase, it is ever more important that we support our local economy by shopping local, and I commend the hard work of the Town Centre Recovery Group in helping businesses to prepare for reopening safely.

“Shoppers can be assured of a warm welcome, and that all necessary steps to ensure the safety of customers and staff alike, have been taken.

“I am confident that, by working closely with our business community, Council will continue to deliver on its commitment to the next phase of post-Covid-19 recovery.”

The Town Centre Recovery Group is also working on access to PPE, managing social distancing in restrictive streets, street cleaning, infrastructure to manage traffic flow and delivering the #RediscoverMEA messaging to the public through a bespoke and targeted marketing campaign.

Council’s specially designed COVID-19 Retail Support Packs have proven extremely popular among the business community with a range of additional support measures in place to boost our town centre recovery. 

For the very latest information on our town centres, please visit Council’s website or social media channels.