Bira 2015 roadshow kicks off this week

The British Independent Retailers’ Association is taking to the road once again this summer, offering free events for retailers in towns across the UK.

Kicking off in Wantage, Oxfordshire on July 9, the tour will highlight Bira’s services to help support, service and help independent retailers grow, such as pensions auto enrolment, business banking, card processing, marketing, legal advice and finding the right shop insurance, as well as showcase its Shop Local Campaign.

The tour will also visit: Barnoldswick, Lancashire; Belper, Derbyshire; Broxburn, West Lothian; Colwyn Bay, North Wales; Kingston-upon-Thames, London; Norwich, Norfolk; and Belfast, Northern Ireland, all winners of the 2014 Great British High Street.

Julie Conway, national membership manager at Bira, said: “Independent retailers make our high streets diverse and exciting. They are the life-blood of our communities and without them we wouldn’t have high streets at all. A few simple changes could make all the difference when it comes to getting communities to return to the high street and spend more money.

“As an association that has supported independent retailers for over 116 years, we have a wealth of knowledge in how best to support retailers and help their bottom line. As well as specialist services, we lobby government to make sure family run and independent retailers’ views are heard. We are constantly learning from our members and have great examples of best practice that we want to share at our roadshows.”