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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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Leicester indie retailers defend ‘special’ city centre after M&S announces closure.

Posted on in Business News

Independent businesses in Leicester have praised the “uniqueness” of the city and its "vibrant" atmosphere after the news that M&S was set to close drew a raft of negative comments about the city centre. 

chocolate shop

Though M&S named changing shopping habits as the cause for its proposed closure, comments from others ranged from "too many vape and chicken shops" and "expensive" parking to harsher criticisms such as feeling “unsafe” because of "too many beggars and druggies" or that the city centre simply had "nothing" to attract shoppers.

But Leicester has a thriving independent sector with a wealth of "pretty special" small shops that many cities would envy.

Leicestershire Live asked indie shop owners what they believed the city had to offer and what improvements they would like to see. They praised Leicester's many unique shops and urged people to visit and support them.

Peter Gardner, owner of Cocoa Amore, said:

“There are pros and cons where you live everywhere. There are a lot of businesses here that are pretty special, and people ought to come and try them. We have such a problem in Leicestershire of not shouting up the good and whining about the bad. The positives outshout the negatives. If you speak to some of these coastal towns who have lost everything and are desolate - these business owners are campaigning just to get a bank on the high street. Here we have access to banks and help from the BID. We are so spoilt in how multicultural we are.

“I've never wanted to run a business anywhere else. Leicester is my city. I want to build a business that Leicester can be proud of. I want to be ethical and sustainable on our pricing and keep our prices affordable and for good value. When we look at our chocolates that come in from farmers all over the world, they should be more expensive than a bar of Dairy Milk on the high street.”

Edina Zoltai, manager at Just Fair Trade, which sells fairly traded gifts, homeware, toys and more next door to Coco Amore, said the city would benefit from more independent businesses to add to the many the city already boasts.

"We do have lots of uniqueness, and when you think of other cities, that is what we need more of," she said. “I think in this sector we can offer a much more personal and much nicer service than big chains. That’s why a higher percentage of our customers are regulars.”

Sisters Tracey Brewill and Juliet Hooper run Brides of Bond Street, a family-run business that has been around in the city for three decades.

Tracey said: “The one thing we hear from our customers is that they do not feel safe being here. It’s the begging and the drugs. I think it's more people wanting money off you. It can be intimidating.”

As the shop takes regular deliveries of dresses and gowns, lorries have to drive through the city centre to get to its delivery area. Juliet said: “The looks that you get from people and the animosity you get from people with it all being pedestrianised. There are not enough signs to say vehicles are passing on this road.”

However, the pair were adamant that independent shops can still thrive in the city. Tracey said: “We have to keep pushing the fact that there are some nice independents down here and try and get people to support independents. You have got to support the shops or there won’t be a high street.

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