This is a trade facing website. Visit the ACT's consumer site thecyclingexperts.co.uk for information and advice on cycling and find your local independent cycle retailer.

Search News

Results: 1-10 of 850


17 Apr 2026

The Bikeability Trust is set to receive £78 million as part of a £108 million Government funding package to boost walking, wheeling and cycling across England, marking the largest...

17 Apr 2026

An independent bike shop has reopened its doors less than 24 hours after a ram raid saw around £40,000 worth of stock stolen and a further £50,000 in damage caused to the premises.

16 Apr 2026

The ACT is urging independent bike shops to enter the first ever Local Bike Shop Awards before entries close on Sunday 19th April.

16 Apr 2026

Consumer finance is entering a new phase in the UK, shaped by tighter regulation, evolving customer expectations, and increased scrutiny on outcomes. We’ve explained the key things you...

10 Apr 2026

It’s easy to forget the moment your love for bike shops began. Mat Clark, owner of BRINK - a UK-based business specialising in cycling retail, brand strategy, and industry insight -...

8 Apr 2026

Bike frame and fork protection specialists BikeWrap has confirmed its sponsorship of the Cytech Pub Quiz, part of the build up to Local Bike Shop Week next month.

2 Apr 2026

Bikebook has announced a new integration with Shopify

1 Apr 2026

An awards scheme celebrating independent bike shops that go above and beyond for their communities launches this week.

30 Mar 2026

ACT parent company Bira has warned that falling retail sales in February are an early sign of consumers reining in their spending amid growing economic uncertainty.

26 Mar 2026

A flagship cycling borough in outer London is poised to lift its eight-year ban on dockless e-bikes, with Waltham Forest Labour Party pledging to introduce a scheme if it retains control of...

Back to news menu

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

Back to news menu

Useful links

If you have any other queries please contact us.