August 2021

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has launched new guidance for the convenience sector to provide retailers with practical advice on how to support wellbeing for themselves and their colleagues.

Launched today (31^st August) the Wellbeing Guide has been developed in collaboration with the What Works Centre for Wellbeing (WWCW) to provide guidance for retailers of all sizes about practical steps to take on the shop floor to improve staff retention and customer service via a healthy, engaged workforce.

ACS is encouraging convenience retailers operating in Scotland to sign up with Circularity Scotland to stay up to date with information surrounding the introduction of a deposit return scheme.

Circularity Scotland is the appointed scheme administrator for the deposit return scheme, currently scheduled to come into effect in summer 2022.

Unless exempt, all retailers in Scotland will be required to take back containers once the scheme comes into force. All retailers will be required to charge the 20p deposit on eligible containers.

ACS has welcomed the introduction of a new statutory offence in Scotland for assaulting, threatening or abusing a retail worker.

The Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-Restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Act, initially proposed by Daniel Johnson MSP, was backed unanimously by MSPs in January and comes into force today. ACS has supported colleagues at the shopworkers union Usdaw and the Scottish Grocers Federation who have led the campaign for this legislation.

There’s just over a week to go until the rollout of the E10 fuel grade, which is being introduced part of the Government’s Transportation Decarbonisation Plan. 

From 1st September 2021, E10 petrol will be introduced as the UK-wide standard petrol grade at pumps. ACS is reminding all fuel retailers to ensure that they are prepared for this change, have briefed their staff and communicated the change to their customers to avoid confusion.

Content supplied by Herbert Group: 

Stores from opposite ends of the UK are to benefit from cutting edge technology with SoluM electronic shelf labels being rolled out to stores across two regional co-operatives.

Cambridge based technology integrator, Herbert Retail, is supplying and installing the electronic shelf labels (ESLs) to stores run by Scotmid Co-op and Southern Co-op. Initial trials have already seen increased store efficiency, improved pricing and product information compliance, reduced paper wastage and an enhanced store team morale.