Bira urges shoppers to buy on high street as Amazon strikes hit

The British Independent Retailers Association has urged shoppers to support the high street as the online retailer Amazon is hit by strikes.

Hundreds of staff at the Coventry warehouse have been the first to strike over pay, which has marked the retail giant's first experience of industrial action in the UK.

However, BIRA, which works with over 6,000 independent businesses of all sizes across the UK, has said that although they support fair pay for workers, it has also highlighted where buyers should be thinking about spending their cash.

BIRA CEO Andrew Goodacre said: "We do believe that workers should get reasonable pay for the long hours they do. However, we do also want shoppers to consider more now where they spend their money and to look closer to home for this.

"Shopping on your local high street not only supports local businesses but allows them to thrive and offer even better services and goods. It's a reason to trust and return to the high street and put your money into keeping it alive, rather than multinational companies who look at profit rather than people," he said.