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1 May 2026

An independent bike shop in Yorkshire has been crowned the first ever Local Bike Shop Awards winner, securing 42% of the public vote.

1 May 2026

ACT partner Gogeta has announced it has cut retailer fees to 0% effective immediately, becoming the first UK cycle-to-work scheme to remove retailer charges entirely.

24 Apr 2026

Cycling enthusiasts across the UK are being invited to vote for their favourite independent bike shop as the first ever Local Bike Shop Awards enters its final stage.

19 Apr 2026

From our many brilliant entries down to 8 finalists, the judging panel will be evaluating and championing independent bike shops up and down the country that make an impact in their...

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.

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Are you maximising retail finance within your business?

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News

IRFTThe Association of Cycle Traders (ACT) are delighted to announce a new service that allows retailers to amplify their sales and profits through effective training on retail finance.

Retail Finance Training (RFT) is an online learning course delivering an informed insight into Retail finance that can be completed anywhere, in your own time.

 

Train your staff to effectively promote retail finance

Do you offer retail finance but it hasn’t had the sales increase you expected? Do your staff know how to effectively promote retail finance in your store?

Various consumer surveys show that customers are more likely to spend a higher amount if retail finance is sold correctly, and for many customers, having the option to spread the cost was the main reason the purchase was made.

The RFT course will teach you and your staff how to encourage customers to make purchases, as well as maximising their spending through techniques such as financial promotion, Point of Sale (POS) and bundling.

The indie retail finance course is a fun and interactive course that shows you how to upsell the benefits of offering retail finance and how to make it make more profit for your business.

Screenshot taken from RFT Module 4: Making the most of retail finance

This course is designed for all owners and employees in a business that either currently, or plans to, offer retail finance as a payment method. The course saves your progress so it can be picked-up and completed when it suits you and once passed you get an indie retail finance qualification and certificate.

Your business invested time getting access to a retail finance account, now learn how to use it properly and sell more.

Give yourself, as well as your staff, the skills that will help you to boost sales and make retail finance a success for your business.

 

Start your RFT journey now

The course retails for just £150 including VAT. However, members of the ACT and ActSmart receive up to a 50% saving off the RRP, meaning that you can access the course from just £75 including VAT.

Try a free demo version now or click the button below to login to your ACT account and access your discount to get started!

Get started

 

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