News

ACS has called on the Government to provide Trading Standards in England with an additional £140m over the next five years to fund a new battalion of 400 enforcement officers, aimed at tackling the rising tide of illegal vape devices being distributed in England.

ACS (The Association of Convenience Stores) is calling on all retailers to take part in the annual Employment Survey (formerly called the National Living Wage survey), of which the findings will help to inform ACS’ employment policy work over the coming year, including its submission to the Low Pay Commission.

Following an increase in National Living Wage rates on the 1st April, the National Living Wage went up 10% from £10.42 to £11.44 per hour to anyone aged 21 and over.

In its consultation, the Low Pay Commission is seeking evidence on the following areas:

ACS has welcomed confirmation from the government that the introduction of deposit return schemes in the UK will be pushed back to October 2027, subject to agreement from the devolved administrations. 

In a written ministerial statement published this morning (April 25th), Robbie Moore MP confirmed that the previously scheduled October 2025 go live date for a deposit return scheme was a ‘stretching target’ and that an October 2027 implementation would be required to ensure that the rollout of schemes was effective and efficient. 

Figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, published today, show that shoplifting offences have increased by 37% (to 430,104 offences) compared with the year ending December 2022 (315,040 offences), and is the highest figure since current police recording practices began for the year ending March 2003.

The data follows the last release of figures from the Crime Survey for England in Wales in October 2023, which showed a 25% increase in theft on the previous year.

Our Technology & Solutions Showcase highlights the latest technological developments and services that can make life easier for retailers, improve their bottom line, and take their businesses to the next level. The Showcase looks at all aspects of what’s involved in running a local shop and how technology can enhance the experience for customers, colleagues, and retailers alike.

Our biggest and most exciting event of the year, Conference24, takes place next week on the 30th April at The Vox in Birmingham. We promise a great experience for all attendees, and strongly encourage anyone in the convenience sector looking to grow their business and build valuable relationships to attend.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has given evidence to the Home Affairs Select Committee, highlighting the human impact of crime on local shops and the challenges retailers face when reporting crime to the police.

There’s only two weeks to go until Conference24, which takes place on the 30th April in Birmingham. This year’s event looks at serving a changing UK, providing exclusive networking opportunities, advice, valuable insights into the convenience sector, and ways to adapt to changing consumer demand.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the announcement of a series of measures aimed at supporting retailers and their colleagues in the battle against violent crime and repeat offending. 

The measures announced today by the Prime Minister include: 

• Assaulting a retail worker to be made a standalone criminal offence

ACS is reminding retailers about changes to waste collection rules in Wales which come into effect from 6th April.

From Saturday (6th April), new regulations in Wales will mean that all businesses will need to arrange for the waste that they generate to be sorted into different categories and collected separately by their chosen waste collector. In practice, this means that retailers will need to have up to six different containers for the following categories of waste: