About Live Newcastle
We are passionate about our Newcastle. We want to support independent regional businesses by encouraging consumers to
choose them over national competitors. We don't mind national chains - we all use them - but wouldn't life be pretty dull
if every high street in the UK looked the same?
How boring would things be if every coffee shop had the same logo; if everyone on your street wore the same clothes and
ate the same food?
We are working with the people behind some of Newcastle's best retail and leisure businesses. We want to help them
compete with national chains, enable them to flourish and continue to create unique and personal shopping and leisure
experiences for their customers.
Independent businesses bring:
Regional economic strength: independent businesses circulate more money around the local economy than national chains.
Research has shown that £10 spent in a national supermarket will have a £15 impact on the regional economy, whilst spending the
same £10 in a local, independent, store, will have a £25 impact.
Creativity: the high street store model, with levels of management and boardroom contrived 'free-thinking' does not allow
the people at the sharp end (who you actually deal with) to have any real creative impact on your retail or leisure experience.
Independent businesses do.
Ethics: independent businesses help to maintain the unique character of an area, are more accountable to local people,
more likely to be supportive of local charities and have greater control over their environmental impact.
Opportunity: preserving economic diversity means allowing local talent to work with experienced business people.
The current crop of people behind our region’s best independent businesses are the mentors of future generations.
Choice: it is the mix of independent operators within a city that makes the place interesting. We are all attracted to,
and inspired by, places that are different. The more independent operators there are, the more choice you have.