This summer the British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) is hitting the rod and touring Britain to offer free advice and support to independent retailers.
BIRA, the leading trade body for indies, is undertaking this new targeted awareness campaign as part of a renewed approach to membership communications and a drive to support a greater percentage of the UK’s independent retailers.
The ten initial towns across the UK are: Shewsbury, Bath, Leamington Spa, Harrogate, Aberdeen, Tunbridge Wells, Leek, Perth, Cheltenham and Colchester. The campaign aims to spread the word of what is already available to retailers joining bira’s national trade body.
The informal roadshows will give local retailers in these towns and surrounding areas a free taster of BIRA membership through short talks and free advice from BIRA experts and members on how the body can help them save time and money.
“They’ll get a good taster of what they could benefit from long term should they decide to join BIRA, the difference membership could make and how their business could further prosper, but not from BIRA, they’ll hear it from fellow retailers and our services themselves,” explains BIRA’s membership and marketing director, Sarah Golden.
She adds, ”We’ve designed these sessions to be short, valuable and practical and instead of asking local retailers to visit us in one national location, we’re coming to their towns to try to be as helpful as we can at their convenience.”
Each will culminate in an evening roadshow event within each of the indie-rich spa and market towns, giving local businesses and indie owners the chance to network with peers and neighbours.
The roadshows start on the 20th August in Shrewsbury.
Tel: 0800 028 0245; Bira.co.uk/roadshows