Christmas shoppers in Gloucester can enjoy an early Christmas present with parking for free this December to help support city centre businesses.

Gloucester City Council is helping to encourage shoppers to support local and independent retailers in the run up to Christmas by offering free parking after 3pm on Thursdays.

The offer will apply to the Eastgate Shopping Centre and Kings Walk Shopping Centre car parks which have over 600 spaces between them. The free parking will allow shoppers not to feel rushed and to enjoy late-night shopping too.

Also to celebrate Small Business Saturday and to back Gloucester’s wealth of independent businesses, three car parks will be free all day on Saturday, 2 December – Westgate Street, Station Road and Hare Lane North Car Park. 

Gloucester BID will also launch its Reindeer Trail as part of Small Business Saturday, to help shoppers to get into the festive mood and will also be bringing out a new map showing people where Gloucester’s unique and thriving independent shops can be found.