High street development review, retail crime police response to retail crime and closing the duty-free loophole are among the areas of focus for Bira this month.
Read the latest update from Andrew Goodacre, CEO
Hello,
Our areas of focus this month have included the following:
- Bira was part of a roundtable discussion focused on revitalising high streets with the Chancellor. This was a productive meeting and Bira is now part of the government team reviewing high street developments. This is a good opportunity to bring about policies that will help smaller high street businesses.
- The level of retail crime is still very high but does seem to be levelling off. Police forces have been more responsive to reports of crime. We know there is still much more to be done and we are working hard with the Home Office to bring more support to high street communities.
- Bira is leading the campaign to remove the duty-free loophole for imports valued at less than £135. We are working with large retailers and large online marketplaces to ensure that we see changes here, which will go some way to creating fairer competition for our members.
Thank you.
Andrew
Bira's advocacy takes your voice to the heart of Parliament
Bira is at the forefront of championing the cause of independent traders and shopkeepers across Britain.
Our campaigns cover a wide spectrum of issues crucial to the success of independent traders including:
- Combatting the rising tide of retail crime
- Advocating for changes in legislation that promote fairness and flexibility
- Fighting for fairer business rates
- Overall reducing the regulatory burden
- £1 billion damages claim against Amazon by UK retailers
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Campaign Focus | March 2026
A roundtable with the Chancellor, retail crime inroads and local car parking issues are among the areas of focus for Bira this month.