The Street is My Store

Today, the Big Issue Group (BIG) has unveiled a striking new out of home campaign, which aims to reframe the public’s perception of what it means to sell the Big Issue and to highlight the hard work of its vendors.

The campaign is designed to highlight that, despite not having a traditional bricks and mortar outlet from which to sell, vendors are running mini businesses, buying and selling copies of the magazine to earn a living in order to change their lives.
The mural also aims to raise awareness of a new and innovative digital initiative that will help create new ways for customers to interact with vendors and help bolster Big Issue vendors’ income.

From today, BIG has launched a new digital initiative empowering selected vendors with personalised QR codes on lanyards and webpages allowing consumers to share with their friends and family to boost vendor sales. This initiative will eventually be rolled out to all vendors.

Entitled ‘The Street is My Store’, the realistic 3D ‘storefront’ marks a collaboration between the team behind the Cannes award for the ‘I’m Here’ project, and the UK’s largest hand-painted advertising company, Global Street Art.

Big Issue vendors are a familiar sight in UK towns and high streets, engaging with members of the public everyday. Despite awareness of the organisation, many still don’t realise that vendors are in effect running their own mini-enterprises.

Vendors buy magazines for £2 and sell them on for £4. Customers can also subscribe with a vendor online, which provides a vital additional source of regular income.

With the support of BIG, these micro-business owners learn vital skills that help them grow and develop, meeting their personal, social and financial goals. However, these businesses wouldn’t be viable without public support.

The importance of supporting vendors cannot be overstated, especially in light of the cost of living crisis, and with 14m[1] living in poverty, which has driven more people to find different ways to stay afloat. The challenge people are facing is reflected in vendor numbers, which have increased by 10% since last year. BIG’s recent Impact Report also revealed demand for food and fuel support from vendors had increased sevenfold.