ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) 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:
ACS has called for better enforcement of existing regulations in response to the Government’s announcement that it is to ban disposable vapes.
ACS has launched new guidance for retailers on how to provide a vape recycling service in store.
Under the new rules, which came into force at the start of 2024, all retailers who sell vapes (regardless of type of store) must provide a recycling facility for consumers to bring back used or unwanted vapes.
Earlier this week I attended the launch of Thames Valley’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber’s Retail Crime Strategy, and it was good to see some of our members there as well as senior police officers, other businesses and the media.
ACS (The Association of Convenience Stores) has recently launched its 2024 Colleague Survey which calls on all frontline convenience colleagues to share their experiences working within the sector. The questionnaire covers topics such as travelling to work, employment contracts, flexible work opportunities, and use of benefits.
The data is vital to ACS’ employment policy campaign work, such as lobbying for improvements in colleagues’ working environments and contributing to other research such as the Local Shop Report.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the Government’s decision to continue exempting small shops from unit pricing regulations.
In its response to the consultation on improving price transparency and product information for consumers, the Department of Business and Trade has concluded that there is no compelling case for removing the exemption. The majority of respondents to the consultation, including ACS, supported this outcome.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called on the Chancellor to hold back the tide of rising costs for local shops in key areas like business rates, employment, and the cost of providing access to cash.
ACS is encouraging everyone involved in the convenience sector to secure their place at Conference24, the must-attend event bringing together over 500 retailers, suppliers and industry experts from around the globe.
Conference24 takes place on Tuesday April 30th at the Vox in Birmingham, co-located with the National Convenience Show, providing the perfect opportunity for anyone who is engaged with the convenience sector to hear about how consumer behaviour is changing, and how retailers are responding to keep themselves ahead of the pack.
ACS has responded to a consultation launched by energy regulator Ofgem, welcoming proposals to expand the number of businesses that have access to the Energy Ombudsman.
In the consultation, Ofgem outlines its plans to expand the support that the Energy Ombudsman provides to include a wider range of businesses. Under current rules, the Ombudsman can only help businesses that meet Ofgem’s microbusiness definition, but the proposals would expand that to businesses with up to 50 employees.
We’re just two weeks away from our ACS/PRA Forecourt, Power, and Convenience Conference coming up on the 31st January, and it is a must-attend event for anyone interested in fuel retailing, the challenges facing convenience and petrol retailers, and the opportunities for growth in the forecourt sector. Held at the King Power Stadium in Leicester, this event brings together experts in the fuel and convenience sectors to outline the next steps for this changing market.
