Do you work with a budding young retailer? Do you have anyone you manage who could be a future retail star? Are you that star yourself?
bira want to hear from retailers under the age of 35 who have shown initiative and developed the business they work for. They could be in with a chance of winning a place at the prestigious Oxford Summer...
Vacancy rates in British high streets remained above 14% throughout 2011 and threaten to rise in 2012 argued the Local Data Company at a packed press launch in Fleet Street.
bira was there on the panel and disagreed, arguing that the LDC's own figures indicate that independents are opening faster than both they and multiples are closing.
See the video report of the event...
Free online training has been launched to help get thousands of experienced business people mentoring SMEs. The new training tool, part of the Get Mentoring Scheme, makes it even easier for people to get mentoring and join the growing network of volunteer business mentors.
There is more at:...
A strong, even unexpected, finish to 2011 for independents, saw the highest proportion of bira members reporting a year-on-year increase for the quarter since the survey first began at the end of 2007 and the first quarter in the past seven in which more independents enjoyed higher sales than suffered a decrease. The average rise for these predominantly non-food retailers may...
The British Hardware Federation Awards were established in 2005 to recognise and reward excellence within the hardware industry. They have grown in strength from year to year and are well supported by retailers and suppliers in the...
Lower card charges are what retailers want - and need. bira is preparing to unveil a great new card deal with HSBC Merchant Services that will take the very best credit card rate to just about 0.9%.
The association will make 2012 a great year to benefit from its scheme when it announces the new rates before the end of the first quarter.
Watch this space.
HRH The prince of Wales, Prince Charles visited Lower Marsh, Waterloo today as part of his work with the Prince Foundation. His visit comes a week ahead of the launch of the Foundation's Report Waterloo: A vision which forms part of the Waterloo Quarter BID.
The prince visited several Shops in Lower Marsh and chatted to staff and stall holders, ...
Independent fashion retailers have a new rallying point and focused business network – the Fashion Association of Britain (FAB), a division of the British Independent Retailers Association (bira).
FAB is the only UK trade association dedicated to furthering the interests of the independent fashion retailer. FAB will provide its members with specialist advice, as well as...
This is your chance to let us know which supplier from the bira direct supplier portfolio (list available on the voting...
Enter now for the inaugural bira UK Young Retailer of the Year Awards. Following the success of the British Hardware Federation Young Retailer of the Year in 2011 (pictured right), each of bira's divisions are looking for members under the age of 35 who are making a real difference within their retail business.
Entrants don’t have to be managers or owners, they just have to be...
Booking Form
bira will host its National Conference and Gala Awards - Talking Independent Retail on 24th April 2012. You can now complete the booking form to secure your place at his fantastic event. Under its new format, it will combine with the bira direct Suppliers Away Day to deliver a new programme of networking and information...
Four places on the bira board of management are up for direct election by bira members.
Candidates should put their names forward by the end of January to Alan Hawkins, bira CEO, making a brief statement of why they want to be elected and why they would make good candidates.
The details of candidates will be published in the February edition of Retail Alert and the membership...
Happy New Year?
It will not have escaped your notice that the news is full of how well John Lewis did and how Blacks has gone from being in the red to being in administration. Actually, all but three John Lewis branches found less in their tills than last year, while their website really clicked, and some branches of the outdoor retailer have been trading well but were pulled...
Colin Rodway, proprietor of Rodways in Ledbury passed away after a long illness, just after Christmas.
Colin was National President back 2006-7 as well as a past chairman and active member of his local BHF branch. He was also a director of bira direct and of the trustee company.
A man of great humour and enthusiasm, he will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
The funeral...
Town Teams, BIDs and other town centre management initiatives are all good - and already doing good in many town centres. Mary Portas is encouraging an excellent and already well established trend. Her report is focussing attention on an issue that affects high streets, shops and shoppers everywhere.
The decline in a large number of town centres has, first, though, to be arrested,...
"The Chancellor's announcement of billions in funds to provide loan guarantees for small businesses was the right thing to do: banks are increasingly wary of any exposure to risk, so small firms are missing out on finance." said Alan Hawkins, bira CEO after the Autumn Statement.
"However," he continued "It’s not loan finance that feeds the daily trading of independents,...
On 28th to 31st May 2012, bira is going to the beautiful Channel Island of Jersey for its 2012 Study Tour Mini Break.
With a varied programme that will incorporate industry and retail interests as well as enjoying the vast history and culture of the Channel Islands, the itinerary includes a conference with presentations from some of the country's top retail...
bira will host its AGM and Conference on 24th April 2012
Under a new format it will combine the AGM and Conference with the bira direct Suppliers Away Day to deliver a new programme of networking and information sharing for retailers and suppliers alike.The event will include a short AGM in the morning, a networking lunch, an afternoon conference with...
232 seminars and 8 workshops, all complimentary. Seminar Schedule
If the Government decides to set the rise as part of November’s local government finance settlement it will mean the Uniform Business Rate for properties in England would...
The bira third quarter sales monitor portrays a continued struggle for high street sales, with downward pressure on prices and upward pressure on costs. In comparison to the second quarter results there has been a slight moderation in the net figures away from bad news. Even in really difficult conditions we see 44% of independents reporting better figures averaging 8%, but 56% reported a...
The Town Centre First (TCF) principle must be a binding principle and not just window dressing if the new planning regime is to provide for sustainable growth, let alone survival, for beleaguered high streets, says the British Indepenent Retailers Association (bira).
Commenting as the consultation period closed, on the 17th October, the retail trade association argued that the admirable...
The crucial third-quarter sales monitor window closes on October 18th. After the second-quarter nett fall in business anticipation is keen, with the membership as well as in the media, as to the results.
The survey, with its quick to answer questions, is here:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/BDJFN3C
We are delighted to report that we have secured a commitment from both HSBC Merchant Services and another major card acquirer to provide our members with a...
• Workers aged 21 and over £6.08
• Workers aged 18-20 £4.98
• Workers aged 16 and 17 £3.68
• Apprentices* £2.60
*Apprentices should be aged 16-19 or over 19 but in the first year of their apprenticeship.
The NMW applies not only to employees, but also to...
Each year the British Retail Consortium (BRC) carries out a Retail Crime Survey to collect and analyse the impact of criminal offences against retailers. The BRC has worked extensively over the past few years to highlight that retail crime is not victimless and that these offences not only impact on the businesses concerned but also retail staff and the...
Sales, overheads, people costs, buying prices are all under pressure, right across the retail landscape. bira is asking its members to take five minutes to tell the world how trade is on the High Street, right now, for independents, by taking part once again in its quarterly sales monitor survey.
The previous quarter's results revealed that in the balance of winners and...
The Mary Portas review of the great British High Street has sparked much media interest. bira has been involved with many of the reports and investigations so far, making a clear case for the High Street and all the good it brings to a community, as well as pushing the major concerns facing independents to the fore.
This week the ITV1 Tonight team take an in depth look at the situation....
Minimum wage freeze needed in 2012 says bira
Compelling new evidence from retailer data makes it clear that the Low Pay Commission should be looking to a freeze in the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for the 2012 round.
Giving evidence in the current round of consultations, CEO Alan Hawkins used the results of the bira wages survey carried out in July...
The British Independent Retailers Association (bira) began the third quarter of 2011 with the appointment of Marketing Director, Sarah Golden.
Sarah joins the current executive board as the sixth director in the newly created Marketing Director position from 1st September. Sarah will be responsible for bira’s marketing strategies across the whole group. She will be tasked with...
A new face and a new role combine in Anthony (Tony) McCarrick, who has joined bira in the newly created role of National Membership Sales Manager.
Seen here with bira CEO Alan Hawkins Tony brings to the role a strong background in sales and sales management. He was most recently General Sales Manager at Louie Clothing in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear having joined the Company in 2006...
The unrivaled bira training offer has a new head, Keith Christian, who has been appointed Director of Training.
Alan Hawkins, CEO, commented: "Keith will direct and coordinate the work of Retail Training Manager Jeannie Willis and Technical Training Manager Adam Wyatt. Reflecting the immense range of interests of independents, from fashion to farming Keith's role covers an amazing...
For contents, fixtures and fittings and stock, you must ensure that you declare the maximum value which will be at risk during the policy...
Life on the high street is hard and getting harder, but headlines declaring the high street dead are worse than just wrong, they are dangerous, says bira.
Suzanne Moore in the Guardian peppered her usual spicy article with important factual errors. "Many of our high streets have a third of their shops boarded up": wrong: half a dozen out of 1000 town centres have a third of their shops...
On Monday 5 September 2011 the annual CHA awards were held, there were many wonderful and amazing products at the show but after great deliberation the judges finally decided on these winners:
Category Company Product Best Packaging Eddingtons Vigar brush Most Innovative Product Keep Cup Keep Cup Best New Product Mastrad Top Chips Maker Best Product at...We know that members have struggled in the past with conflicting advice from different Trading Standards departments on age-restricted sales legislation. Some local authorities advise that it’s ok to sell a certain product to under 18s (scissors have been a case in point) and others have been giving opposing advice. bira members will be pleased to know there is a solution.
Primary...
The ring of the bell that puts a smile on the face of the retailer as a customer comes to buy can ring hollow when it heralds instead yet another visit from an inspector.
bira has fought the increasing burden of inspections from multiple departments enforcing a bewildering array of regualtions and the even greater burden from multiple "test purchase" operations that have seen retailers...
With the weakness in the UK car market over the last few months, it has become a buyers’ market. Dealers and finance providers are cutting their rates aggressively to boost sales.
In reaction, bira finance will continue to offer the best rates possible to members through a significant cut in vehicle loan rates by up to as much as 0.90% APR. This cut will see bira finance...
BIS is holding three listening events on the Transforming regulatory enforcement consultation and Red tape challenge. The events are:
Going forward it is essential that we provide further concrete support to the police and assistance in securing prosecutions against those involved with the criminality.
The BRC has launched the snapshot survey to collate statistical information from...
Members of bira have started to donate money to create and deploy a fund to provide fast assistance to members in areas affected by riot and looting over the last week.
Damage has ranged from complete looting to damage to property, particularly shop windows. Distress has been prevalent, but independents are hardy types, not easily discouraged. Even so, other members are...
Independent shops continue to suffer from violence and looting in the continuing outbreak of lawlessness on the streets of England.
Seen above is the view from the inside of the Tool Shop in London's posh Queensway (Bayswater) area, which was broken into on Sunday.
Proprietor Vin Vara reported that his insurer, Towergate, had "been brilliant", but that a local company...
Have you sustained loss and/or damage as a result of the riots?
Insurers tell us that in most cases this would be covered under a commerical or personal insurance policy under the insured peril of Riot and Civil Commotion. However the key issue is to ensure that there is a very prompt notification of the claim to the police. The Riot and Damages Act requires notification to the Police...
The Retail Trust is ready and able to help staff and independent retailers affected by public disorder and looting on its helpline - 0808 801 0808.
Looting and violence continued to escalate last night, with incidents spreading beyond London. The copycat element may, we hope not, cause the violence to spread. In which case the advice below should be of use to all. Either way it is obvious that the personal safety of all comes first.
The Metropolitan Police have an advisory page on "Disorder"...
"Life is more important than shop windows or a bit of stock" said Corinne Lewis, demonstrating a remarkably phlegmatic attitude after Glickman's, the independent tool and hardware fixture of Tottenham's High Road was ransacked and trashed in the riots on Saturday.
The business that she and husband Derek run, and which has been in operation since the 1930s, is now boarded outside...
Have your say in the Today programme's high street questionnaire. The key radio show is investigating the fate of the UK's hight streets and is asking for the help of listeners in building a picture of the nation's shopping issues.
There is a questionnaire online, and you can record your memories of high street shopping on Audioboo or YouTube (tagging them with #r4todayhighstreet and...
Nearly six in ten independent retailers suffered a fall in business in the second quarter of 2011.
Fresh research from the British Independent Retailers Association (bira), the results of its quarterly sales monitor, shows that 58% reported falls averaging 10%, with 42% reporting increases averaging the same 10%.
The mix in the picture shows clothing, footwear, card &...
