In the face of lockdowns and restricted access to retail businesses during COVID-19, the council has signed up to the Click It Local platform to help generate sales for local retail businesses. This is in line with 2021-22 key objectives to encourage people to do business in the borough as part of the wider corporate priority to grow the economy. Click It Local allows customers to purchase from multiple independent businesses in one place, make one payment and have one consolidated delivery or collection. The platform is currently supporting 32 local independent businesses.

The contract with Click It Local ends in March 2022. This report provided an update on the impacts that the platform is having with regard to economic growth, as part of regular updates to the committee.

Members asked officers to provide a more detailed breakdown of local retail sector performance in advance of contract expiry, in order to inform further decisions about the longevity of the Click it Local platform in the borough. 

After a full discussion, Cllr Hossack MOVED and Cllr Parker SECONDED the recommendations in the report. A vote was taken and it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY.

Members are asked to:

R1. Endorse extending the council’s Click It Local contract by six months.

Reasons for Recommendation

It is recommended that the Click It Local Brentwood contract be renewed for an additional six months. With the funding from Essex County Council, the extension is risk free. The council will continue to work with Click It Local to help them onboard more businesses, support existing participating shops and develop a higher customer profile in the community.

A six-month extension will bring the council’s contract into line with Rochford District Council and the North Essex Economic Board, ensuring that our businesses are receiving the same support as neighbouring authorities. Updates on the performance of Click It Local in Brentwood will be brought to the committee in future to inform decisions about the contract beyond six months.