ACS is celebrating the crucial role that rural shops play in thousands of communities across the UK as part of the launch of the 2024 Rural Shop Report.
The 2024 Rural Shop Report, launched today in Parliament, outlines the difference that the UK’s 17,986 rural shops make as secure local employers, as entrepreneurs investing and working with local businesses, and as essential service providers.
Key findings from the 2024 Rural Shop Report include:
- Rural shops employ over 170,000 people, the majority of which live very close and can walk to work
- Rural consumers see convenience stores as the most essential service in their local area
- Independent retailers in rural areas are at the heart of their community, with more than 4 in 5 engaging a range of different community activities over the past year
- Rural shops generated £17.1bn in sales and over £3.8bn in GVA over the last year
