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ACT parent company Bira responds to Prime Minister's 'Bobbies on the Beat' plan

11 Apr 2025

Bira has cautiously welcomed the Prime Minister's announcement this week on plans to put 'thousands of Bobbies back on the Beat' with a new neighbourhood policing guarantee.
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ACT parent company Bira warns of 'Atrocious April' as shop price inflation rises

1 Apr 2025

Bira has voiced serious concerns over the latest figures from the BRC-NIQ Shop Price Index for March 2025.
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ACT parent company Bira says Spring Statement fails to address high street crisis

26 Mar 2025

ACT parent company Bira has said the Chancellor's Spring Statement delivered today has failed to address the "perfect storm" of cost pressures facing independent retailers across the UK,... Read more…

ACT parent company Bira outlines key priorities ahead of Spring Budget

25 Mar 2025

ACT parent company Bira has outlined its key priorities ahead of the Chancellor's Spring Budget statement.
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Bristol-based cycling charity Life Cycle now offering Cytech training courses

20 Mar 2025

Cytech, the internationally recognised training and accreditation scheme for bicycle mechanics, have partnered with Bristol-based charity Life Cycle to offer a range of bicycle mechanic... Read more…

High street 'death knell' – indie retailers, including cycle shops, shutting doors ahead of April tax rises

12 Mar 2025

Towns and cities across Britain are already seeing a wave of closures as independent businesses shut their doors ahead of April’s triple tax burden, including those in the cycling retail... Read more…

Research shows UK businesses hiring more as consumer confidence lifts

5 Mar 2025

New research has revealed a recent uptick in UK consumer confidence, leading to increased hiring by businesses, with the retail sector responding positively to signs of economic resilience.
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Independent cycle shop becomes first retailer to stock new local bike brand

28 Feb 2025

Independent cycling retailer and ACT member Velo Fit has become the first to stock a new brand of bikes focused on combining quality and affordability.
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Bira cautiously welcomes new crime and policing bill to tackle retail crime across high street businesses

26 Feb 2025

ACT parent company Bira has cautiously welcomed Labour's Crime and Policing Bill but is calling for urgent action and immediate funding to address the surge in retail crime affecting independent... Read more…

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…

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Seaside town bucks the trend with indie retail thriving

Posted on in Business News, Cycles News

Weston-super-Mare seems to be one town in the UK bucking the national trend, with new shops opening and businesses reporting an increase in trade, according to a report by Bristol Live.

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The bike hub has seen local e-bike retailer UFO grow their well-known local business and expand into an additional space and now offers a bike hire scheme for visitors and residents. Popular Bristol based coffee business, Can’t Dance Coffee, has also expanded, bringing its coffee and baked delights to what was previously the Food Court.

Traders in The Sovereign say they have seen an increase in footfall over the past few months - some which has been attributed to the additional 500,000 visitors coming to Weston-super-Mare .

The Sovereign manager Alan Smith said the centre offered a good retail mix.
“Moving away from just mainstream retailers is essential for the continued growth of The Sovereign. Thanks to the support of the local community we can grow and bring more local retailers."
Other new businesses have sprung up in Weston High Street over the last year, including Imagination Fascination play centre, Maxxisave in the former Argos store and the Captain Kandy sweet shop on the High Street. Orchard Meadows has also welcomed some new faces including Vintage Abs clothes shop and Christopher’s Chocolates.

Although Weston does still have several empty shops, retailers said its future is looking good. Weston BID chairman and town centre trader Paul Batts said: “We have a really good selection of independent shops, especially in Grove Village and Orchard Meadows.
 
“We have also seen new, specialist and unique businesses opening in our areas and in the High Street in some of the smaller units. We are noticing post pandemic that people are more interested in supporting their local independent shops and our independent offering in Weston is getting stronger and stronger, making it a great shopping destination all year round.”

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