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Barber shop proves it's a cut above the rest picking up coveted British retailers award

2 Sep 2025

A barber's shop in Northern Ireland has proved that it's a cut above the rest by picking up the inaugural Love Your High Street Award 2025, following a public vote that attracted over 2,230... Read more…

Independent retailers face Fresh challenges as UK inflation climbs to 3.8%

20 Aug 2025

ACT parent company Bira has expressed serious concern following today's announcement that UK inflation rose to 3.8% in July, higher than the expected 3.7% and marking the tenth consecutive month... Read more…

Bike industry continues to face challenges as profits and forecasts falter at Giant, Canyon and Shim

14 Aug 2025

The global bike industry remains under pressure as Shimano, Giant and Canyon all report weaker profits and subdued outlooks for 2025.
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ACT to join industry leaders at brand new cycling trade event this September

13 Aug 2025

The ACT is set to be in attendance at the inaugural Cycling Industry News Live (CIN Live) trade show, which is set to bring together industry-wide education, market insight and product showcases... Read more…

Independent retail crisis deepens as nearly half see sales plummet compared to last year

12 Aug 2025

Britain's high street crisis has deepened dramatically with nearly half of independent retailers, including many in the independent cycling retail sector, reporting sales have crashed compared... Read more…

Independent retailers slam £5.9bn "de minimis" import loophole as Government delays action

11 Aug 2025

ACT parent company Bira has condemned the Government's inaction over the "de minimis" import loophole following a Sky News investigation revealing £5.9 billion worth of cheap imports... Read more…

Criminals undermining legitimate retailers as trading standards collapse

7 Aug 2025

Bira has warned that criminals are undermining legitimate retailers as trading standards services collapse, following a new Which? investigation.
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ACT welcomes Government's new product safety laws

23 Jul 2025

A leading cycle traders association has backed the government's move to protect consumers from dangerous products sold through online marketplaces, following Royal Assent of the Product... Read more…

Small Business Strategy Inquiry 2025 - ACT and Bira call for members to share their voice

20 Jun 2025

The House of Commons Business and Trade Committee has asked the ACT, and its parent company Bira, to help them reach out to small business retailers across the country, for their quick input on... Read more…

Beyond the discount: Restoring integrity to the cycle supply chain

18 Jun 2025

The Association of Cycle Traders believes the time has come for greater accountability throughout our supply chain, writes ACT Director Jonathan Harrison in an article published for BikeBiz.
Read more…

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The three best small bookshops!

Posted on in Business News

With just 4 weeks to go until the UK's Best Small Shop is announced at the House of Commons on the 5th of November, Indie Retail will be giving you a bit more information on each of the shortlisted retailers!

Over the next 4 weeks we will be introducing a few shops at a time and telling you about the fantastic ways in which they continue to help their communities and why they stood out to the judges.

Today's retailers to be celebrated are the independent bookshops that were shortlisted! For the last four competitions hundreds of booksellers from across the UK have entered, with last year's Best Small Shops competition being won by Scottish bookshop The Mainstreet Trading Company. This year three bookshops have been shortlisted and are in the running to be named the UK's Best Small Shop of 2019!

Bookish, Crickhowell, Powys 

Independent bookshop in Powys, Bookish, positions itself as a community hub; they run five book clubs and over 100 events annually, including the Crickhowell Literary Festival, Children's Book Festivals, a monthly cinema club and providing a home for weekly community groups. All of this as well as having a carefully curated selection of books for sale!

Bookish offer a friendly, quality service and their philosophy revolves around connecting people to books and helping children to develop a lifelong love of reading and imaginative play.

 

Kett's Books, Wymondham, Norfolk

An independent community bookshop in Wymondham, Norfolk has also been named on the shortlist of retailers in the running to be named Britain's Best Small Shop of 2019!

Kett's Book is run by volunteers, who met as strangers in a pub in 2013 and agreed to get together to save the town's bookshop from closing, choosing to run it toward a shared vision of community outreach, school visits, working with care homes, running programmes for children, and author visits. Over 200 friends pay £20 per year to demonstrate loyalty. Volunteers benefit Kett's with days out, book groups, school assemblies, and a school marketing workshop. This year the shop has been running a town-wide book group, reading a single book to build conversations and bring readers and non-readers together.

The Hours Cafe Bookshop & Deli, Brecon, Powys

The Hours Cafe Bookshop & Deli in Powys identifies as a cafe, a bookshop, a gallery, a deli, a meeting place, and a foodie and cultural hub to all of it's customers.

It describes itself as "a tranquil, bijou sanctuary of lovingly curated books & treats nestled in a building affectionately referred to by locals and visitors as 'the wonky green shop'. In addition to book events and supper clubs, the shop is also actively involved with the Brecon Women's Festival, the Brecon Fringe Festival, the Brecon Baroque Festival and Cerys Matthews' The Good Life Festival. This Autumn The Hours Cafe Bookshop & Deli celebrate their 9th birthday.

For more information about any of the above shortlisted shops please find them in the Indie Retail shop directory here. The full shortlisted 25 shops can be found here.

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