C1 Advanced essay example, marked

Nowadays many small shops are closing in the town centres and this is a big problem.¹ There are many ways to help them, for example lower taxes, campaigns and limits on shopping centres.

Firstly, lower taxes is a good idea². Shops close because the costs are too high.³ This is the most direct solution. If the taxes are lower, the shops can pay less and they can stay open. Also they can make the prices lower and more people will buy there.

Secondly, campaigns to buy locally can be useful. For example the town hall can put posters in the street and adverts on the radio. However, people will always choose what is cheapest, so maybe the campaigns don't work very well. Also, some people don't listen to the radio or see the posters, so they don't know about the campaign.

Thirdly, the limits on new shopping centres are also important,⁴ because shopping centres take people away from the town centre. In my town, a big shopping centre opened two years ago and three shops in the centre closed soon after. It is very important to protect the town centre.⁵

To conclude, all of these ideas can help the small shops and the government should do all of them.⁶

The steady disappearance of independent shops from our high streets is a source of concern in many towns.¹ This essay considers two possible remedies – cutting business taxes and running campaigns to promote local shopping – and assesses which is likely to be more effective.²

Reducing business taxes would tackle the problem at its root.³ For many small retailers, rising overheads leave them with no choice but to close, regardless of how loyal their customers are⁴. Lower taxes would ease this pressure immediately, allowing owners to invest in their businesses or keep their prices competitive. The obvious drawback is the cost to local authorities, which would have less money for other services.

Campaigns encouraging people to buy locally, by contrast, are relatively cheap and can raise awareness of what town centres have to offer. However, there is little evidence that awareness alone changes behaviour.⁵ When faced with a choice between convenience and loyalty, most consumers, understandably enough⁶, opt for whatever is quicker and cheaper. Social media campaigns showing the people behind local businesses can help to build loyalty, but they are unlikely to outweigh a difference in price.

On balance, I would argue that tax reductions are the more effective measure.⁷ While campaigns may persuade some shoppers, they do nothing to address the financial pressures that force shops to close in the first place.⁸