13 October 2021

It is with great pleasure to announce that Bira have won the Silver Award with AEA for Best Membership Support during Covid-19

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the Bira team, and bring to light the hard work and dedication that was put into supporting our members during Covid-19. Like many other businesses, we started the transformation to home-based working during Covid whilst gathering the buy-in and collaboration of the entire Bira staff, our business partners, colleague trade associations and other industry organisations to support the sector and to formulate a package of support measures for all independent retailers, not just our 4,000 members.  

Our activities during Covid-19 resulted in:

  • rent & eviction moratorium extended
  • hardware, homeware (Lock down 1), DIY & health food stores allowed to remain open
  • re-evaluation of business rates delayed until 2023
  • over 200 retail businesses provided with free membership support
  • more than £1.6m in loan repayment holidays provided by Bira Bank
  • 100% increase in members selling products on their own website compared to research performed in 2019
  • 25% increase in email open rates
  • website visits increased by over 97% compared to pre-Covid times
  • 147% organic increase in social media engagement across all channels
  • press coverage increased by over 1,200% compared to pre-Covid times
  • membership payment holidays provided to over 35 retail members

It is an understatement to express our gratitude and thanks to everyone at Bira, for not only coming together in a time of reduced staff and remote working. But for also pushing many of its members into the media spotlight, provided extensive supported to its own members and, undoubtedly, many more independent retail businesses throughout the UK.

The Bira team faced a huge challenge ahead, at a time when its members and the wider sector needed more support than ever before. Bira stayed true to it’s 120-year roots… supporting members’ needs for today and for whatever the future holds.

We've done all we can to support you, so why not support us by joining Bira today

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