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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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Make the most of Small Business Saturday

Posted on in Cycles News

With Small Business Saturday just over one week away, it's not too late to put some plans in motion to get the most out of it!

Small Business Saturday is an annual event that was initially started in America by American Airlines. It was bought to the UK as a way to improve sales for small businesses just before the Christmas shopping period and has been increasing in awareness and popularity ever since. In 2017 the event was estimated to have generated £748million, and this was increased even further in 2018 with an estimated spending of £812million.This increased spending may be a result of more people becoming aware of the event and choosing to spend more money with small businesses because of it.

Indie Retail published a story in August explaining that it is never too early to prepare for Small Business Saturday, with ideas including communities organising street festivals, implementing online campaigns and collaborating with other local businesses to create themed activities.

However, with over a week to go it's not too late to make the most out of Small Business Saturday! Here are a few ideas that will help to raise awareness of your brand and to drive footfall to your shop.

  1. Shout about it! Write a press release that mentions your plans for the day and send it out to local news and radio stations, you can also put this into a blog post for social media to keep your followers informed.
  2. Freebies! Giving away a small gift on the day can attract customers to your store, for example, a non-alcoholic mulled cider to warm your customers up and allow them to sip and browse.
  3. Utilise social media! In the weeks running up to the day ensure you use relevant hashtags such as #SmallBusinessSaturday to get onto the radar! Social media competitions are also a great way to raise awareness of your brand and collect email addresses for marketing purposes.
  4. Raise awareness! Use the occasion to educate people on the benefits that shopping at indie retailers has on the local economy as opposed to shopping with online giants and larger firms.

Here at Indie Retail UK we champion independent retailers through the Best Small Shops competition, and help raise awareness through campaigns such as #IndieXmasWindows. Keep up to date with Indie Retail by following our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages.

 

 

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