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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…

Bira welcomes Wales' business rates proposals but calls for key improvements

11 Jun 2025

Bira has welcomed the Welsh Government's consultation on business rate reforms for retail shops, whilst calling for significant improvements to ensure the proposals truly support high street... Read more…

New awards launch to champion Britain's independent high street heroes

9 Jun 2025

Retailers on Britain's high streets are being encouraged to put themselves forward for the first-ever Love Your High Street Awards, designed to celebrate the small businesses that bring... Read more…

"Tectonic shift" in employment law threatens independent retailer viability, warns Bira podcast

6 Jun 2025

Independent retailers are facing a "generational" transformation of employment law that could fundamentally change how small businesses operate, according to the final episode of Bira's first... Read more…

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…

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Age-friendly businesses could revitalise Britain's high streets.

Posted on in Business News

Older people could be the financial shot in the arm needed for Britain’s high street, according to research commissioned by the University of Stirling. 

Older shoppers

By following some simple tips, retail and hospitality businesses could widen their customer and staff base and at the same time improve the experience of older people, say academics who are working to address healthy ageing challenges. 

Enhancing accessibility could result in a significant financial uplift for high street shops, potentially increasing monthly revenues by £267 million, according to a new set of guides for retailers and hospitality businesses. Using large print menus, providing free newspapers, offering group discounts and accepting cash payments are some of the suggestions included in the guides. 

The retail and hospitality toolkits, developed and funded as part of the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge and its Social, Behavioural & Design Research Programme (SBDRP), also suggest using staff name badges, adapting lighting and soundscapes for older people, and training to help employees better understand older people’s needs. 

The guides advise shops, restaurants and cafes to set aside designated time for older people. For example, Morrisons and Tesco supermarkets operate quiet shopping hours, when music and in-store radios are turned off, loudspeaker system announcements are avoided, and checkout sounds turned down. 

The guides also encourage businesses to recruit more older workers. Currently, one in three employees is aged 50 and over. The Retail Guides indicate that by 2030, staff over 50 will outnumber those under 30 in the retail sector. 

Spending by older consumers will rise from 54% (£319 billion) of total consumer spending in 2018 to 63% by 2040 (£550 billion), says the International Longevity Centre, publisher of the retail guides. The hospitality toolkit was produced by the University of Surrey’s Hospitality Connect programme. 

Judith Phillips, OBE, of the University of Stirling, Professor of Gerontology and Research Director for the Healthy Ageing Challenge, said: “These guides offer practical and actionable advice for retailers and hospitality businesses so that they can adapt for our ageing society. They serve as a clear roadmap for creating a society in which everyone’s wellbeing is valued, with healthy ageing front and centre.” 

Dr Elaine Douglas, Programme Manager at the SBDRP, said: “This research underlines the immense potential for business to enhance the quality of life for older individuals. It’s about creating more inclusive and accessible environments that benefit everyone.  

“Shops, cafes and restaurants are powerful resources for our communities – places to gather, to socialise or just have a chat at the checkout, and employers of older people. So, catering better for older people is a community health matter too.” 

The University of Stirling hosts the Social, Behavioural & Design Research Programme which is funded by UK Research and Innovation. The Programme meaningfully engages with older people and businesses to provide insights into the needs and opportunities of an ageing population. The Programme covers seven projects, funded by the UKRI Healthy Ageing Challenge, from home design and supportive environments to healthy ageing at work.  

The guides can be found here:   

Retail Project: The Healthy Retail Guides - SBDRP (ageing-sbdrp.co.uk)  
Hospitality Connect: Welcome ALL | A Toolkit for Age-inclusive Hospitality Venues - SBDRP (ageing-sbdrp.co.uk)

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