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Government urged to protect independent retailers as part of living wage increases

2 Sep 2024

The national president of the Federation of Independent Retailers has written to the new secretary of state for business and trade, Jonathan Reynolds, to highlight the impact of higher wages on... Read more…

Barbers to test blood pressure to fight inequality

2 Sep 2024

Two barber shops in south London are offering customers free blood pressure tests to tackle undiagnosed health issues amongst black and Asian men.
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Bira welcomes recent Bank of England interest rate cut

14 Aug 2024

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has welcomed the Bank of England’s recent decision to cut interest rates from 5.25% to 5%.
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Community rallies around shop owner’s appeal after ‘devastating’ break-in

14 Aug 2024

A shop owner in Bramley, West Leeds, has thanked kind-hearted members of the community after her shop was targeted by burglars.
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National and local governments called on to invest in the repair of the retail sector after recent riots.

14 Aug 2024

The recent wave of civil unrest in the has dealt a severe blow to the UK retail sector, with high-street stalwarts and independent stores alike bearing the brunt of the violence.
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'You have to put in 110% to make a living' says independent retailer

14 Aug 2024

BBC Norfolk has highlighted small businesses calling for more support to help them increase their presence in the High Street.
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150 UK small business grants you could apply for right now

14 Aug 2024

If you need some funding for your small business, website smallbusiness.co.uk has produced a list of grants you could apply for, wherever you're based in the UK.
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Retail inflation remains low as clothing and footwear prices keep falling

5 Aug 2024

Annual shop price inflation remained at 0.2% in July, according to the BRC-NielsenIQ Shop Price Index, the lowest rate since October 2021. Non-food prices remained in deflation, with an annual... Read more…

Men who stole thousands from small businesses sentenced

5 Aug 2024

Two men have been handed suspended sentences after stealing thousands of pounds from small businesses during a card-machine scam.
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Swansea shop stops selling luxury items as thefts rise

5 Aug 2024

Tying down products and stopping selling high-end items are among the measures one shop owner has taken amid a rise in shoplifting.
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IRC backs ‘Colour Friday’ alternative to Black Friday sales

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News

The IRC has joined bira and other retail trade associations in backing the ‘Colour Friday’ alternative to this week’s Back Friday sales.

The ‘Colour Friday’ initiative was first orchestrated by the UK Ambassador for Creative Small Businesses, Holly Tucker MBE, as a way of encouraging people to choose shopping at small independent businesses over impulse buying from big online retail giants in the annual ‘Black Friday’ sales. At the time of writing, nearly 2,800 small businesses and consumers have listed their support.

Colour Friday

It goes without saying that the pressure to participate in Black Friday affects independent retailers across the UK. The expectation to offer Black Friday discounts are high, but the incentives can be low with the current rises in inflation and energy prices.

On her website, Holly mentions that:

·       In a recent poll, half of UK small business owners said they’re genuinely concerned that this will be their last Christmas trading.

·       Carbon emissions generated from Black Friday online sales alone are equivalent to 215 flights from London to Sydney?

·       89% of shoppers reported finding Black Friday highly stressful?

·       A quarter of Brits surveyed said they regretted their Christmas Black Friday buys.

bira recently conducted a survey asking its members to share their thoughts on Black Friday, and whether they knew of any alternatives. A resounding majority told them no, so, like bira, the IRC wanted to bring attention to a different initiative you can take part in.

You can find out more here.

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