Last week it was announced that the UK had fallen into a significant recession with a 20.4 per cent decline in the economy versus the previous quarter this year.

This news does not come as an overwhelming surprise. Enforced business closures meant that spending took a nosedive and this difficult period has only extended as the reopening footfall and spend has not been the recovery that everyone had hoped for.

Throughout this time we have seen large and small businesses fall victim to the pandemic with bankruptcy, permanent closures and thousands of job losses.

Earlier this week it was reported that over 32,000 jobs in retail and nearly 20,000 in hospitality have been lost as a result of COVID-19 in the UK so it isn’t a wonder that towns across the country are suffering.

But how can we help?

There a number of things that we can all do to help businesses thrive and keep our local community alive by saving jobs. Let’s shop locally and avoid internet shopping wherever possible.

Looking for some new loungewear? Southend has you comfortably covered. Need more cleaning supplies? We have all the products that will make your home spotless.

Hungry? We have a great range of places offering sumptuous meals and delicious drinks. Bored? We have lots of leisure facilities to entertain both the young and old, day and night.

It’s not to say that online is to be avoided completely. Leave reviews of places in Southend where you have had a great experience or excellent customer service on Tripadvisor, Google and Facebook.

Make sure you share these experiences on your social platforms and through word of mouth with your friends too. I

f you do want to shop online then switch from delivery to click and collect which means your local store will more likely benefit from the sale, plus you can stop off for a coffee or pick up any other essentials whilst you’re in town to get your goods.

This week’s news has not been great but let’s do what we can to help our businesses bounce back. Shop local, shop Southend.