Press Releases

The Welsh Government has published a draft Bill which seeks to ban or restrict the sale of some of the most commonly littered single-use plastics in Wales, including a ban on plastic bags which are currently subject to a 5p charge.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has submitted evidence to the CMA’s detailed market study into fuel pricing, highlighting the competitive nature of fuel pricing and the limited impact that retailers can have on the overall fuel price.

The market study follows a review ordered by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng in June, which was requested after the price of petrol and diesel increased by over 60p in the previous 12 months.

The market study is focusing on what the CMA sees as the two main factors affecting the increase in the fuel price:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has highlighted the importance of transitional arrangements in advance of the business rates revaluation due in 2023 in a submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

In the submission, ACS makes a number of recommendations including:

The Welsh Parliament’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee has published a report on the impact of the cost of living crisis on businesses and communities across Wales.

ACS gave oral evidence to the Committee, which has been cited in the report, highlighting the need for the Welsh Government to provide support to local shops in Wales by helping them to invest in energy efficiency measures, recognising the status of employment in convenience stores, and taking action to ensure that stores can get the deliveries that they need.

The Association of Convenience Stores is delighted to announce the appointment of three new directors to its board - Darren Nickels (Henderson Technology), Susan Connolly (Trading Director, Connolly SPAR) and Rob George (McColls).

Save the date for ACS’ Heart of the Community 2022, ACS’ unmissable annual conference taking place at One Great George Street Westminster on 18th October.

This year’s conference will focus on two high priority areas: levelling up and sustainability and this will be explored through industry experts and prominent figures from across retail.

The keynote speaker for this year’s conference has been confirmed as Katy Balls, deputy political editor of the Spectator, who will be providing analysis of the current political landscape and how this affects convenience retailers.

ACS is supporting the launch of the Government’s new Help for Households campaign, highlighting the important role that the UK’s 47,000+ local shops play in helping customers to save and manage their money during the cost of living crisis.

The Cross Party Group on Small Shops has met to explore the Welsh Government’s retail vision and how small shops are contributing to the delivery of the strategy to regenerate the retail sector in Wales.

The meeting was chaired by Vikki Howells MS and attended by a number of MS’s and independent retail trade associations.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed a new Competition and Markets Authority review into the fuel market, which highlights the drivers of increased fuel costs.

The review, which was ordered in June by the Business Secretary, was requested after the price of petrol and diesel increased by over 60p in the last year.

The Scottish Government has outlined its plans to restrict the promotion of high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products in a new consultation published today (1st July). 

In the consultation, the Scottish Government sets out a range of options for the number of categories of product that would be included within the restrictions, as well as the restrictions themselves which fall into two main categories – location restrictions and promotional restrictions.