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9 Oct 2026

E-Bike Positive has gained further recognition from MPs, Government ministers and Transport for London (TfL), strengthening its position as a safety trust mark helping consumers identify safe,...

1 Oct 2026

Europe will need around 105,000 additional bike mechanics by 2032, according to new industry analysis which says the sector is already 45,000 mechanics short of meeting current demand.

29 Sep 2026

More than £9.3 million is being invested in walking, wheeling and cycling projects across Glasgow, as new data shows record levels of cycling on several of the city’s protected...

28 Sep 2026

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25 Sep 2026

Some cycling businesses that think they're running an "event" are in fact, legally, operating as a tour operatorJoanna Evans, Head of Bikmo for Business, sits down with Chris Hutchens,...

24 Sep 2026

Liverpool councillors have called on Merseyrail to reverse its decision to ban non-folding e-bikes on trains and at stations, with the policy due to come into force in January.

18 Sep 2026

V12 Retail Finance has reported strong summer trading among bike retailers, with June consistently outperforming previous years and finance volumes in both July and August 2026 notably higher...

18 Sep 2026

ACT will host a retailer panel discussion at this year's Cycling Industry News Live (CIN Live), bringing together independent bike dealers to discuss the realities of running a cycle retail...

17 Sep 2026

The Bikeability Trust has launched CycleIn, a new e-learning programme designed to help adults build their cycling skills and confidence on the road.

17 Sep 2026

The London Cycling Festival will return on 20 September 2026, bringing organised, family-friendly cycling events to 19 London boroughs.

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Nearst enables you to stay in contact with your customers via Whatsapp

Posted on in Cycles News

ACT partner NearSt introduce the option to add WhatsApp chat functionality on your NearSt shop page!

As more people are beginning to self-isolate many shops are having to introduce more methods to keep running their businesses running. It's a rapidly changing situation for shops and communication with your customers plays an important role.

To help make it as easy as possible for your customers to contact you, NearSt have rapidly developed the option to add WhatsApp chat functionality on your NearSt shop page. The new service is available from today, is completely free, and will allow shoppers to contact you directly via WhatsApp.

All you need is a WhatsApp Business Account to receive any messages sent through your shop page. Setting up a WhatsApp Business account is very simple (and free!), and will take you less than a minute. It gives you a very easy way to be reachable for your customers, without giving away your personal mobile phone number or mixing personal and business messages.

Just follow these simple steps:

  1. Download the WhatsApp Business app on your iPhone or Android phone.
  2. Once you open the app, you will be asked to enter a phone number. It's recommended to use your shop's landline number for that!
  3. It will try to send an SMS to that number at first, which might fail in the case of a landline, but you will then be able to request an automated phone call with the code needed to verify the number. After that's done, you'll get a chance to set your business name and some other optional details, like an address and opening hours.
  4. Once everything is set up, go into Business Settings > Short Link and copy the link WhatsApp has generated. Send that link to support@near.st, and we'll connect it up to your NearSt shop page!

If you have any questions or need any support getting set up feel free to get in touch with the team at NearSt who will be happy to help hello@near.st. 

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