'We need all the support we can get' - Cornwall shoppers urged to buy local this Christmas

Small independent businesses in Cornwall are urging shoppers to buy local this Christmas.

Traders at the annual Christmas market at Jubilee Wharf in Penryn say sales in the build up to Christmas are vital to get them through the quiet New Year period.

Penryn-based potter Sarah Sullivan is one of the sellers at the two day event this weekend. She told ITV News: "We have to keep ourselves going through the quiet months for makers in January, February and March. We need all the support we can get. So please shop locally and shop small business."

The Jubilee Wharf Christmas Fair has been going for 17 years. Co-organiser Caroline Cox says it's a way of showcasing independent makers, artists and food and drink producers.

Caroline Cox, Jubilee Wharf Christmas Fair: ‘’We tend to do it towards the end of the season. It's a really important community event.

"All of our store holders are local, most of them are actually from Penryn, and are making their living from making beautiful things and it's a really great opportunity for us to celebrate that."

These final months of the year are as known as the 'Golden Quarter' in the retail industry, when retailers make most of their sales. 

Penryn has a large number of independent shops, who’ve noticed the cost of living crisis means shoppers are being more careful.

Daun Bryans is the owner of Just Delights on Penryn's Commercial Road. She told ITV News: "Customers are spending more time looking and really thinking about what they're buying. But overall, since the October half term, things have picked up.

"The summer was very flat, and we were worried because we buy our Christmas stock in January, so you can't predict, and we were anxious about how much we bought. But actually it's all been going."

The Jubilee Wharf Christmas Fair continues from 11am-4pm on Sunday 17 December.