VISIT Otley has released its latest publicity film showcasing some of the historic market town’s fabulous shopping options.

The film, Make It A Day For Independent Shopping, features a number of Otley’s shopping ‘heroes’ including its three butchers, the artisan Underground Bakers, grocers Simon & Becky, homeware shop Isca, and the independent Bookshop on the Square.

It has been produced with the support of Otley’s Town Coordination Group, which is made up of stakeholders including Otley Town Council, Otley BID, Otley Chamber of Trade and Otley Town Partnership.

Otley was one of the first towns in the country to be granted a Royal Market Charter almost 800 years ago and that tradition continues to this day with a market three times a week, a monthly artisan farmers’ market and a town centre that offers a high number of specialist and independent shops.

Research conducted by the Town Coordination Group shows that shopping is a key motivator for town centre visitors with four in ten locals and a quarter of visitors stating that a visit to Otley’s shopping areas was the main driver for a visit. Meanwhile, the research conducted by People and Places Insight highlights the high number of independent businesses in the town: almost three quarters of shops in Otley are unique to its town centre, a figure 14 per cent higher than the national average.

Chair of Otley BID, which provided funding for the project, Katie Burnett said: “Otley has long been a key centre for trading in Wharfedale as evidenced by the approach of our 800th anniversary as a market town. The new film illustrates the breadth of shopping opportunities here and will hopefully serve to encourage more people to visit our fabulous shops and other businesses.

“In the post-pandemic era, ourselves and our fellow Town Coordination Group partners have offered strong support to Otley businesses, both on the high street and in the business-to-business sector.

"Over the past two years, we have launched the Buy In Otley online business directory, created a number of assets to encourage further investment in the town and have now produced this latest publicity video to increase visitation to Otley and its many amazing businesses."

Chair of Otley Town Council’s Trade & Tourism Committee Cllr Paul Carter said: “Via Otley’s Neighbourhood Plan, residents have asked us to increase the number of independent traders, improve comparison shopping and promote Otley as an independent/specialist shopping destination. With our latest promotional video and our other initiatives, we are confident that Otley will continue to grow as a business-friendly destination for investors, as well seeing continual growth on the high street.”