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Bira warns of 'troubled times ahead' despite interest rate cut

7 Feb 2025

ACT parent company Bira has warned that retailers across Britain face troubled times ahead despite today's Bank of England interest rate cut to 4.5%, as the Bank halves its growth forecast for... Read more…

Free webinar exclusive to ACT members on employment law compliance

4 Feb 2025

The ACT and legal partner WorkNest are hosting an exclusive webinar on how to remain compliant with employment law while making necessary business changes.
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ACT parent company Bira urges Government action as December sales disappoint

23 Jan 2025

ACT parent company Bira is calling for urgent government intervention following disappointing December retail figures, which show sales volumes fell by 0.3% following a modest 0.1% rise in... Read more…

ACT announces new partnership with legal specialists WorkNest

17 Jan 2025

The ACT has teamed up with employment law, HR, and health and safety experts WorkNest as the association's new legal partner.
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Bira comments after BRC release Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor Report for December

9 Jan 2025

ACT parent company Bira has warned that disappointing footfall figures for December show mounting pressures on independent retailers, with concerning implications for 2025 as business costs... Read more…

2024 year in review: A message from ACT Director Jonathan Harrison

18 Dec 2024

Director of the ACT Jonathan Harrison has praised the "resilience and adaptability" of the ACT and its members in an end of year message.
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Practical steps to prevent credit card and payment fraud as an independent cycling retailer

4 Dec 2024

As credit card fraud becomes increasingly sophisticated, taking these steps could help you stay ahead of the fraudsters…
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Scottish retailers call for urgent business rates support as gap widens with rest of UK

29 Nov 2024

Scottish independent retailers, including those in the cycling sector, are urging the Scottish Government to provide crucial business rates relief in its upcoming budget, as the disparity in... Read more…

Bira and ACT welcome new House of Lords report on high street regeneration

28 Nov 2024

Independent retailers back call for local leadership and simplified funding.
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Seven-in-ten cycle traders boycott Black Friday as cost pressures mount

26 Nov 2024

Seven in ten cycle retailers across the UK will boycott this year's Black Friday sales event, according to a survey of the bicycle trade by the ACT.
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Indie retailers outperformed supermarkets in sales of organic food, wellness and beauty products in 2023.

Posted on in Business News

As reported by Healthstores UK, new data contained in the 2024 Soil Association Organic Market report shows that independent retailers delivered an impressive 10% growth in 2023, with organic retail sales in the independent channel totalling £475 million. Across all retail channels organic was up 2% in 2023. 

Infinity Foods

While high inflation fuelled much of this growth, half the independent retailers surveyed also sold more organic goods than the year before. And there is positivity for the future as inflation eases and shopper confidence returns. More than two-thirds of independent retailers expect positive sales in 2024, reporting that the organic message chimes with customers’ concerns around key issues like health and sustainability. 

Health stores reported that organic beauty and wellbeing and supplements categories were performing especially well – which aligns with a wider focus on family health. 

The report shows that independents worked hard to deliver value for money to their customers during a deep and prolonged cost-of-living crisis. 

Healthstores UK cites Unicorn Grocery in Manchester, which cut prices on everyday organic essentials and explicitly compared RRPs to the supermarkets’ to highlight value – often coming in cheaper than bigger retailers. To drive home the organic message staff also signposted the benefits of organic, and local provenance of produce, around the store. This was rewarded by improved footfall and customer spend – particularly around organic fruit and vegetables. 

Infinity Foods in Brighton meanwhile launched a new Community Card which enables customers earn points every time they shop, which gives them extra offers or money off their shop. 

 

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