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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.
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Nearst enables you to stay in contact with your customers via Whatsapp

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ActSmart partner NearSt introduce the option to add WhatsApp chat functionality on your NearSt shop page!

As more people are beginning to self-isolate many shops are having to introduce more methods to keep running their businesses running. It's a rapidly changing situation for shops and communication with your customers plays an important role.

To help make it as easy as possible for your customers to contact you, NearSt have rapidly developed the option to add WhatsApp chat functionality on your NearSt shop page. The new service is available from today, is completely free, and will allow shoppers to contact you directly via WhatsApp.

All you need is a WhatsApp Business Account to receive any messages sent through your shop page. Setting up a WhatsApp Business account is very simple (and free!), and will take you less than a minute. It gives you a very easy way to be reachable for your customers, without giving away your personal mobile phone number or mixing personal and business messages.

Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Download the WhatsApp Business app on your iPhone or Android phone.
  2. Once you open the app, you will be asked to enter a phone number. It's recommended to use your shop's landline number for that!
  3. It will try to send an SMS to that number at first, which might fail in the case of a landline, but you will then be able to request an automated phone call with the code needed to verify the number. After that's done, you'll get a chance to set your business name and some other optional details, like an address and opening hours.
  4. Once everything is set up, go into Business Settings > Short Link and copy the link WhatsApp has generated. Send that link to support@near.st, and we'll connect it up to your NearSt shop page!

If you have any questions or need any support getting set up feel free to get in touch with the team at NearSt who will be happy to help hello@near.st

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