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28 Feb 2025

Independent cycling retailer and ACT member Velo Fit has become the first to stock a new brand of bikes focused on combining quality and affordability.

26 Feb 2025

ACT parent company Bira has cautiously welcomed Labour's Crime and Policing Bill but is calling for urgent action and immediate funding to address the surge in retail crime affecting independent...

19 Feb 2025

Electric cargo bike firm Zedify is set to enter administration following a failed search for new funding, after aiming to be active in 50 cities over the next few years.

18 Feb 2025

Halfords has upgraded its profit expectations for 2025 following a strong end to 2024, signalling a possible boost for the wider cycling retail sector after a difficult period.

17 Feb 2025

A £291m funding package from Active Travel England is set to be used for cycle lanes and improved junctions, while also supporting local businesses and making it easier to cycle to work,...

14 Feb 2025

The UK Government has removed anti-dumping tariffs on non-folding e-bikes imported from China in a move that has raised alarm within the UK’s cycling industry over potential market...

7 Feb 2025

ACT parent company Bira has warned that retailers across Britain face troubled times ahead despite today's Bank of England interest rate cut to 4.5%, as the Bank halves its growth forecast for...

4 Feb 2025

The ACT and legal partner WorkNest are hosting an exclusive webinar on how to remain compliant with employment law while making necessary business changes.

31 Jan 2025

New independent research has confirmed OEM e-bikes are effectively exempt from risk of battery fires, with unsafe post-purchase replacement batteries, conversion kits, and other equipment that...

31 Jan 2025

The UK Government has decided not to go ahead with proposals to increase the maximum power output of e-Bikes to 500W and to permit throttle assistance following a lengthy consultation process.

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Cost of living crisis forcing Britons to shun local for big brands

Posted on in Business News , Cycles News , Creative News, Outdoor News

National media has reported that most Britons say that the cost-of-living crisis is forcing them to shun local shops in favour of big brands to get the cheapest prices.

In research commissioned by Santander UK, eight in ten claim the rising cost of living is forcing them to shop with big brands and national retailers to get the cheapest possible prices, even though many would prefer to shop local.

Shopping

Just 21% of those surveyed said they like to support small, local shops due to better customer service, distinctive products and a sense of community.

Meanwhile, a disturbing 80% of SMEs said they were struggling to compete with lower prices offered by national brands, while 72% said they were losing customers over it.

As the cost-of-living crisis deepens, 73 % felt that the current economic climate makes it harder for them to compete. More than two thirds of small shops admitted that spiralling inflation had forced them to raise prices.

This has also hurt their customer base, with 42% of individuals saying that soaring bills and mortgage rates have already forced them to look for the cheapest available options.

This comes after a relative boom for local shop owners, which saw 67% of SMEs receive an influx of customers during the pandemic, dissipated.

More than half of consumers said that they had tried harder to support smaller retailers between March 2020 and 2022. Those numbers have fallen this year as a quarter of shoppers have scaled back their local spending due to rising costs, despite 47% enjoying the friendliness of local outlets.

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