The British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) officially opened its new offices in Edgbaston in Birmingham on September 21, 2017. The event was attended by 150 members, staff and friends of the association and included a talk by Professor Carl Chin, who entertained guests with the many reasons why Birmingham was the perfect location for a retail trade association to be based.

“It was a great honour to be able to officially open the new bira headquarters,” said BIRA national president Vin Vara. “It was encouraging to see so many members, suppliers and industry partners join us on the day to show their support and a fantastic evening was had by all, despite the rain. With all the staff now in one location and modern, fresh offices, we look forward to seeing bira continue to grow.”

The refurbishment of 225 Bristol Road and the purchase and subsequent refurbishment of 225a Bristol Road has bought bira’s offices into the 21st century, with state of the art audio visual equipment in the new board rooms and break out areas for creative thinking and idea development. The charm of the Georgian building has been retained and lovingly restored, while number 225a creates a modern hub for the membership, marketing, Oxford Summer School and HR teams to be based.   

“Anyone who may have visited our offices in the past, in Banbury or at 225 Bristol Road, will know that they were in need of modernisation,” said CEO Alan Hawkins. “The dark corridors have been brightened and we are grateful to Dulux who sponsored our new paint. Rooms have been opened up to create a modern and more social working environment, reflecting our association as a whole, which will only benefit our members with the various departments all working more closely together.

“With the Association now all being in one place we are better able to meet our members’ needs. With members at the heart of all the refurbishment work, we wanted to create a space that is open, light and inviting and one where retailers can come and meet with the team working for them. We are all really happy with the outcome and invite members to come and visit, use our meeting rooms and attend our meetings and training sessions here to make use of the new space we have created ultimately for them.”