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Retailers hope warm weather and bank holidays will boost high street sales

16 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said that members are hopeful the warm weather, Easter weekend and upcoming bank holidays will provide a much-needed boost to high street sales.
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Economic growth surges to 0.7%, but "April reality check" looms for high street retailers

15 May 2025

UK economy delivers strongest quarterly performance in a year despite forecasts of business downturn.
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Communities come together for Local Bike Shop Day 2025 celebrations

13 May 2025

Local Bike Shop Day 2025 brought a wave of... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira welcomes Bank of England's latest interest rate cut

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has welcomed the Bank of England's decision to reduce interest rates from 4.5% to 4.25%, calling it a "much-needed boost" for the retail sector, including for cycling... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira responds to Beales' "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" as iconic store makes final protest

8 May 2025

ACT parent company Bira has responded to the news that the 144-year-old Beales department store is staging a "Rachel Reeves Closing Down Sale" in its final weeks of trading, with giant yellow... Read more…

Employment Rights Bill - ACT and Bira answer your questions

28 Apr 2025

The Labour Government’s new Employment Rights Bill is set to be in force this year and the new regulations will impact high street retailers up and down the country.
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ACT parent company Bira welcomes Chancellor's action on unfair trade practices

25 Apr 2025

ACT parent company Bira welcomes the Chancellor's announcement of plans to create a level playing field for British businesses against unfair international trade practices.
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ACT parent company Bira responds to Prime Minister's 'Bobbies on the Beat' plan

11 Apr 2025

Bira has cautiously welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement this week on plans to put 'thousands of Bobbies back on the Beat' with a new neighbourhood policing guarantee.
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ACT parent company Bira warns of 'Atrocious April' as shop price inflation rises

1 Apr 2025

Bira has voiced serious concerns over the latest figures from the BRC-NIQ Shop Price Index for March 2025.
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ACT parent company Bira says Spring Statement fails to address high street crisis

26 Mar 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said the Chancellor's Spring Statement delivered today has failed to address the "perfect storm" of cost pressures facing independent retailers across the UK,... Read more…

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From Cash to Contactless – IRC Leads Study on Payment Trends in Retail

Posted on in Business News

The Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC) will be working with key financial institutions within the UK to gauge the shift in retail payments.

card machine

The IRC has partnered with UK Finance, HM Treasury, Bank of England, The Royal Mint and Link, to identify how cash is valued in the Retail SME community compared to the many other forms of payments available.

The insights gathered from this survey will play a pivotal role in understanding the evolving payment landscape. A potential decrease in cash usage among consumers and the retail sector would indicate a shift towards cards, contactless transactions, account-to-account transfers, cryptocurrencies, and other emerging payment methods.

The result of this survey could result in a dramatic impact on both businesses and consumers in reshaping the way transactions are conducted and influencing daily life in significant ways.

John Halliday, from the Independent Retailers Confederation, said: “We can clearly see the impact the pandemic and technological development has had on the variety of ways people pay for goods and services.   So much so that now even cash appears at risk of being demoted in place of contactless payments, account-to-account transactions, digital currency, and more.”

He added: “To ensure the Retail SME community is prepared for the years ahead, we’re urging all retail businesses to provide us with the vital information needed to inform relevant bodies and agencies what businesses and their local communities need now and in the future.”

The survey, which is anonymous, contains 27 questions and will take just six minutes to complete.

The IRC is urging shop owners to help protect and prepare the sector and local communities for the years ahead by contributing to this important research by clicking here.

The survey will run until Monday, 31st August 2023, and results will be revealed shortly afterwards.

The Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC) will be working with key financial institutions within the UK to gauge the shift in retail payments.

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