RETAIL INSIGHT


WHY MEMBERSHIPS MATTER AND THE FIGHT FOR THE HIGH STREET


This month, Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, talks about the power of collective action and what it delivers for independent fashion retailers...


I


am often asked what the point of joining a trade association is. It’s a fair question. Membership costs money, and independent


fashion retailers are watching every penny. So, what do you actually get for it? The answer starts with something simple: buying power. When you’re a single independent boutique negotiating with suppliers, you’re at a disadvantage. When you’re a part of a buying group representing thousands of retailers, suddenly you’re negotiating with the leverage of a national chain. Then there are the services that would cost


a fortune if you bought them separately. Free legal advice when you need it - particularly valuable for contract disputes or trading issues. HR support for managing staff issues. Health and safety guidance. Insurance deals


negotiated at scale. Card processing at better rates. These aren’t nice-to-haves when you’re running a fashion business - they’re essentials. Having access to them without needing to employ specialists or pay consultancy fees makes a real difference to your bottom line. But to change the rules of the game, that


requires a collective voice, and it requires that voice to be heard in the right places. These past few weeks have shown great


progress. I sat in a roundtable discussion with the Chancellor, focused on revitalising high streets across Britain. It was a productive meeting, and Bira is now part of the government team reviewing high street developments.


Crime is levelling off We’re also making progress on retail crime. The statistics are still concerning, but crime levels appear to be levelling off, and police forces have been more responsive to reports from retailers. For fashion retailers dealing with shoplifting and organised retail crime, this matters enormously. This didn’t happen by chance. It happened


because we’ve been relentless in pushing this issue with the Home Office and with police forces. There’s still much more to be done, and we’re continuing to work hard to bring more support to high street communities. Then there’s the duty-free loophole for


imports valued at less than £135. This gives overseas sellers an enormous advantage over British businesses who pay their taxes and play by the rules. For fashion retailers competing with ultra-fast fashion flooding in from overseas, this creates an impossible playing


14 • FOOTWEAR & FASHION TODAY • JUNE 2026


field. Bira is leading the campaign to close this loophole, working with large retailers and online marketplaces to create a coalition that politicians can’t ignore. None of this happens without membership.


Every retailer who joins adds weight to our voice. Every membership fee funds the staff who research policy, write submissions, and meet with MPs. Every member who shares their experience or responds to our calls for evidence makes our case stronger. Trade associations exist because industries


recognised long ago that collective action achieves what individual action cannot. This isn’t about blind loyalty to an


organisation. It’s about recognising that some challenges can’t be solved alone. You can’t negotiate better supplier terms alone. You can’t afford a full-time legal team alone. You can’t get a meeting with the Chancellor alone. But collectively, you can do all of these things. Independent fashion retail faces pressure


from every direction. Costs are rising, competition from online giants is fierce, and the playing field often feels tilted against small businesses. Membership of a trade association won’t


solve everything, but it levels the playing field a bit. It gives you buying power you wouldn’t have otherwise and a voice in places you couldn’t reach otherwise.


Andrew Goodacre is CEO of Bira, the British Independent Retailers Association, which works with over 6,000 independent retailers across the UK including fashion boutiques, footwear retailers and giftware stores.


¡ For more information visit www.bira.co.uk


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