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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.
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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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Bira comments after BRC release Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor Report for December

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News

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 continue to rise.

Rain Bench UK

The latest BRC-Sensormatic IQ Footfall Monitor report revealed decreases across most retail locations:

  • Total UK retail footfall decreased by 2.2% (YoY)
  • High Street footfall decreased by 2.7% (YoY)
  • Shopping Centre footfall decreased by 3.3% (YoY)
  • Retail Park footfall remained flat at 0.0% (YoY)
Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre
Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre

Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said: "These figures paint a worrying picture of the challenges facing independent retailers. The decline in footfall during the crucial Christmas trading period is particularly concerning, as this is typically when retailers need to generate the revenue that will see them through the quieter months ahead. Looking ahead to 2025, we see little reason for optimism unless the government takes decisive action.

"With retailers facing increases in National Insurance contributions, National Living Wage, and business rates, many independent stores will struggle to maintain viability. We urgently call on the government to reconsider the planned business rates increase for small retailers – this could be the difference between survival and closure for many independents on our high streets."

The challenges currently faced by independent cycling retailers and the bike industry as a whole have also been brought into sharp focus following news of folding bike manufacturer Brompton's sharp decline in profits, falling from £10.7 million to just £4,600 in the year to April 2024. CEO Will Butler-Adams attributed the dramatic fall in profits to lower-than-expected bike sales and delays in cost reductions due to fixed commitments.

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