BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Local Bike Shop Day 2021 is set to take place on Saturday 28th August, following a survey completed by IBDs and key members of the cycling industry.
Local Bike Shop Day is a day for the industry coordinated by the industry. Previous years, 2020 in particular, have seen huge successes with hundreds of retailers getting involved and hundreds of thousands of consumers reached. It is a day to celebrate independent cycle shops across the UK and is designed to appeal to all cyclists, new and dedicated enthusiasts, with the aim of increasing web traffic and driving more footfall through the door of the IBD up and down the country.
Pictured above is owner of one of the 2020 prize-winning bike shops, Heather from Saddles and Paddles, who said of her involvement in the day: “There’s never been a more important time to support local, independent shops and so I was keen to use Local Bike Shop Day to remind people of all the benefits of shopping with us, rather than chains or online stores.”
Local Bike Shop Day has traditionally taken place in May, with the reason for this being to encourage to consumers to visit their local bike shop in preparation for peak cycling season. However, the survey highlighted significant challenges that IBDs are experiencing, including uncertainty of the UK’s recovery roadmap, stock shortages caused by the pandemic and Brexit and how long this unprecedented demand for cycling will last.
All set for summer 2021
Throughout the past year, bicycles have offered a key solution to many problems currently being faced by isolating Brits across the UK – a safe mode of transport, a way of keeping fit, a way to get fresh air, all whilst enabling the cyclist to maintain a two-metre distance from others and have minimal contact with surfaces and objects.
The revised date of Saturday 28th August will now fall at an ideal time to encourage children to start cycling when they return to school and to inspire the nation to continue cycling after the seasonal good weather comes to an end.
The information obtained through the survey provided guidance as to when Local Bike Shop Day should be deferred to. The decision for the new date centred on when IBDs will be able to reap the most benefits, as well as that of which follows Government guidelines as the safety of the nation will always be of the utmost importance.
Local Bike Shop Day is an industry-wide initiative managed by the Association of Cycle Traders (ACT). The ACT is keen to hear any input and ideas that the trade may have to offer in order to ensure that Local Bike Shop Day is once again widely celebrated and valued by IBDs and customers alike. If you would like to get in touch, please email info@theact.org.uk.
Read the March issue of BikeBiz below:
