Two bike shops shortlisted in the Best Small Shops competition 2019

The shortlist for the Indie Retail Best Small Shops competition was announced today whereby the hundreds of shops across the UK that entered were narrowed down to just 25.

The Best Small Shops competition, managed by the Independent Retailers Confederation (IRC), celebrates the commitment and creativity of independent retailers on the UK's High Streets and the central role they play in their local area.

This year's competition has been incredibly popular with hundreds of shops entering from all over the UK ranging from the Orkney Islands located above Scotland down to the South of England in Devon and everywhere in between, giving a great representation of the small shops across the UK.

This year two bike shops have been shortlisted, said to have stood out to the judges "for a range of reasons including the fantastic work they do for their communities and the levels they go to when engaging with current and potential customers". It is great for the cycling industry to be represented at events such as this one that champion independent retailers and help to promote the benefits of shopping indie.

"These shops stood out to the judges for a range of reasons including the fantastic work they do for their communities and the levels they go to when engaging with current and potential customers"- Indie Retail, 2019

We hope that the promotion of the two bicycle shops will help draw more attention to IBDs across the UK. Details of the two shops can be found below!

Arragons Cycle Centre

Located in Penrith, Cumbria, Arragons Cycle Centre offers cycle hire, a Shimano Service Centre offering emergency repairs, and specialist wheel build. It is a family run business, established for over 40 years but now with a brand new shop - one of the North's largest. Arragon's Cycle Centre were also shortlisted in the 2018 Best Small Shops competition and are once again being recognised as a true independent family shop that have remained at the heart of their community by supporting events and entertaining local clubs.

Rides On Air

Rides on Air in Wallingford has a new store with over 100 bikes and accessories in stock and covering all disciplines from children's bikes to adults including disabled cycles and the latest craze of eBikes. They regularly take part in community events that benefit local charities while promoting the benefits of shopping at IBDs.

The names and details of the other 23 shops that were shortlisted can be found on the Indie Retail news page.

For more information about the Best Small Shops competition please visit the Indie Retail website or visit their Twitter, Facebook and Instagram pages.