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Welsh Government Announce £20m Future Proofing Fund for Retail Businesses in Wales

21 Mar 2024

A number of organisations, including Bira (the British Independent Retailers’ Association), other trade associations, BIDs and unions have met with officials from the Welsh Government to... Read more…

Shoplifters working in organised groups targeting shops with co-ordinated raids

11 Sep 2023

A warning has been issued that shoplifters in the UK are becoming increasingly “emboldened” and appear to be often orchestrated by organised criminal groups, which steal to order,... Read more…

Indies drinks retailers short-changed in government duty consultation

16 Aug 2023

Independent quality drinks retailers were woefully underrepresented among those consulted by government over the duty changes now hitting businesses, it has been claimed, after industry magazine... Read more…

Mixed picture emerging about Coronation effect on retail

9 May 2023

A mixed picture is emerging about the effect of the Coronation weekend across the UK's retail sector.
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Learn from the best social media posts of 2022

20 Jul 2022

Each week Maybe* round up the best social media posts from across the UK. See who's coming... Read more…

ACT partner Maybe* in the press over Independents’ Day weekend 2022

14 Jul 2022

It's been a busy first half of the year at Maybe* HQ and they've kicked off the second half with one of their favourite celebrations, Independents' Day. Maybe*'s support of the campaign made 21... Read more…

How to run winning social media competitions and Instagram giveaways

6 Jul 2022

Running social media competitions and Instagram giveaways are an easy way to build your audience and your engagement. But there are a few tips and tricks you need to master, as well as those... Read more…

Maybe* gives shoppers the chance to win £100 for Independent's Day

30 Jun 2022

Independents' Day weekend is taking place from 2-3 July 2022. To celebrate Maybe* have got a tailor-made competition you can share across social media to encourage your customers to shop indie.... Read more…

Win £500 in social media ads every month

23 Jun 2022

Every month Maybe* gives one of our clients £500 to spend on social media advertising. To enter all you need to do is watch the Maybe* training videos or attend their webinars.
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Local Bike Shop Day 2022 celebrated by record number of retailers, orgs and shoppers!

12 May 2022

Local Bike Shop Day 2022 was a great success across the UK, with online platforms thriving as well as a surge in the physical footfall seen in-stores!
Read more…

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How Record Store Day helped reinvent the indie retailer

Posted on in Cycles News

As preparations got underway for the 11th annual Record Store Day last weekend, CEO of the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) Kim Bayley took the time to reflect on the impact the day has had on the sector and how much it has grown in the last decade.

As Bayley describes the issues that were facing the independent record stores back in 2008 it's easy to spot similarities to the issues facing the bike trade today.

"From the perspective of 2018, it is easy to take it all for granted - a high-profile ambassador in Rag ‘n' Bone Man, sponsors in the shape of Fred Perry, Friels, Sound Performance and Rega and 240 stores participating - but that is to forget the state of the music industry in 2008 when it all began." Says Bayley.

"There were many who felt it was all over. The UK industry was well-off its 2001 peak. Zavvi (previously Virgin Megastores) and Woolworths closed that year. When even big companies like these were closing, it was no wonder that indie stores were collapsing by the day.

"Historically the balance-of-power in the music industry had always been in favour of record companies. Their control over content meant retail had a dependent relationship on their suppliers and had come to expect record companies to have the answer to every problem.

"In 2008 it was clear record companies were running out of answers. Their attempts to launch their own digital services and their attempts to sue their way out of piracy had all failed. While the iTunes store was growing, streaming had yet to be launched. There was a vacuum of initiative.

"It was that vacuum which Record Store Day filled. Rather than waiting for record companies to solve their problems for them, independent retailers led by Michael Kurtz in the US and Spencer Hickman in the UK decided to do it for themselves."

Independent retailers in 2018 are up against competition from e-commerce giants selling the same products and brands at knock down prices. But for the music trade, despite Spotify, Apple and the like offering streamed music at a fraction of the cost, vinyl is in the midst of a massive resurgence - thanks to Record Store Day. So can the bike trade reap the same benefits when it celebrates Local Bike Shop Day later in the year?

Bayley says that one of the main reasons Record Store Day is now a huge success is because it was the retailers themselves who took control and made the day what they wanted it to be.

"The annual celebration provides ‘a platform to really celebrate what sets them apart’ for the bigger national retailers."

"The long-term significance of Record Store Day was that it demonstrated the value of retailers taking control of their own destiny. It is still owned and controlled by indie retailers, but we [ERA] identified very early on that it was something we should encourage and nurture.

"Record Store Day is the gift that keeps on giving. It has provided a focus for the vinyl revival, it has led to a resurgence in independent record shops numbers and it has given a renewed sense of purpose to the entertainment retailing sector in general and ERA in particular."

Today Record Store Day is not just about having new releases or exclusive limited edition records available, it's about celebrating what makes the independent dealer special.

Megan Page, the UK Coordinator for Record Store Day UK says that the annual celebration has given these smaller stores ‘a platform each year to really celebrate what sets them apart' from the bigger national retailers, namely ‘being the centre of their communities, specialist knowledge, personal service, individuality, and their dedication to championing local artists [and] labels and helping independent artists grow'.

This is one of the key areas where bike shops can take note. On October 6th 2018 IBDs are being encouraged to come together to celebrate what makes them special with Local Bike Shop Day. Show your customers why they should shop with you over the online retailers - run a demo day, organise a ride, have a bbq - whatever you can do to drive the customers in store on the day and hopefully keep them coming back for months to come...

"The mightiest oaks, as they say, grow from the smallest of acorns."

Local Bike Shop Day was inspired by the success of Record Store Day and the idea was put forward by Daniel Jones of Random Adventure, which specialises in putting on talks and events alongside local bike businesses. Talking about why he suggested the idea of Local Bike Shop Day, Jones said "I put on talks around Lancashire and partner with bike shops when doing so. I'm also a passionate cyclist, I love supporting my local shop and also as an inept mechanic, I really do rely on my shops to keep my bikes spinning. I want to keep my local bike shops running, I'm not expecting anything from this."

Local Bike Shop Day logoSince the idea was pitched just last month it has gained huge support from IBDs, suppliers, trade press and consumer magazines. More than 70 IBDs are already signed up to take part in the day and are being promoted to thousands of consumers on the ACT's consumer facing site - thecyclingexperts.co.uk/local-bike-shop-day

To get your business listed simply sign up here.

Over the coming months Jones is hoping to work closely with consumer magazines to promote the day to consumers and drive them into their local shop. Bike suppliers and manufacturers are also being encouraged to get involved by promoting the day to their customers or even providing dealers with exclusive products or offers on the day.

Let's all work together to make the first Local Bike Shop Day a success and who knows... maybe the bike trade will see a similar resurgence to Record Stores in a few years' time!

As Bayley says, "The mightiest oaks, as they say, grow from the smallest of acorns."

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