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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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Best Small Shops' "Meet the Innovators" series kicks off with Jacobs the Jewellers following their successful reopening

Posted on in Business News

This year's Best Jacobs the jewellersSmall Shops competition will see the addition of a special new category celebrating small retailers that overcame adversity in the form of the COVID-19 crisis and innovated during lockdown, or prepared their business for life as restrictions have loosened.

Our ‘Meet the Innovators' series will highlight some of the small shops that did something special during this difficult time, starting with Jacobs the Jewellers, who are based in Reading.

Jacobs were visited by Alok Sharma MP, Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Industry - after being recognised locally for setting a great example as a business successfully reopening following lockdown. We spoke to Adam Jacobs of Jacobs about his lockdown experience.

"During lockdown we emphasised our online abilities more heavily than before, putting phone consultations, online chats and video consultations if requested, at the centre of the online buying process.

"Our type of jewellery and watches have always required explanation and supporting assistance so by altering our website to promote this we dramatically improved our online sales.

"A new online appointment booking service embedded in our website was also introduced pre-opening. This smoothed customer flow and allowed personal selection of visiting times to suit.

"This has been enthusiastically picked up and is very popular, with 109 appointments being made in under 3 weeks for both repairs and new sales consultations. We'll definitely keep this on in conjunction with our National Association of Jewellers StoreSafe Covid-19 protocols."

Speaking about what he and has colleagues learned about the business during lockdown, Adam added: "We learned that we can be imaginative, creative, positive and resilient. We have a strong team dynamic and we bonded further with regular, weekly lockdown communications.

"Independents have a uniquely open and giving support structure almost hardwired in their DNA - that's what makes us special."

Enter your shop in the Best Small Shops Competition ‘Most Innovative Business During COVID-19' category here: bestsmallshops.uk/enter-now/.

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