The newest episode of the Independent Thinking Podcast has an amazing guest Mr B's Emporium who speaks with host Alexandra about customer service and retail trends.
There are few places you can escape reality better (on the high street at least) than in a bookshop. Shelves filled with history, memoirs, adventure, sadness, scandal and delight; wonder, joy, pleasure and heartbreak. Books can transport us to another time and remind us that some thoughts and feelings are as old as time itself.
Imagination is at the heart of what makes books and authors so special, of course, but what about the booksellers themselves? Well, it turns out they can be just as imaginative as the authors on their shelves. And that’s what I’ll be exploring this week with two-time-winning bookshop Mr B’s Emporium, based in Bath.
I chat to co-founder Nic about extreme customer service and why it matters, how customers respond to world events through their reading habits, why he remains an optimist about the health of the high street and whether writers can truly predict the future.
Our resources
All Resources-
Campaign Focus | What could a new PM mean for the high street?
What could be different for independent high street businesses up and down the UK following the appoitment of Andy Burnham as the new Prime Minister?
-
Business rates punish companies 'simply for existing' - the time for tinkering is over
I am often asked one simple question: why do business rates provoke so much anger among independent retailers? Read Bira CEO Andrew Goodacre's piece on business rates in full.
-
Campaign Focus | Reaction to updates on VAT & low-value imports
Reaction to the government's 'pathetic' shortening of the timeframe on closing loophole for low-value imports by just 6 months, as well as an update on advocacy against VAT fraud.
-
Future of retail & e-commerce: New invaluable content highlights what independent retailers need to know
Bira Direct’s new Supplier Spotlight Videos give independent retailers quick, practical supplier insight anytime, anywhere.
-
Campaign Focus | May 2026
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.