Convenience retailers are responding with caution to continued uncertainty around the Brexit process and the upcoming General Election by delaying and scaling back on investments in their stores over the last year.
Figures from the Association of Convenience Stores’ Investment Tracker show that in the 12 months to November 2019, the UK’s 46,000 local shops have invested £558m in their businesses, down from £737m in the previous year – a year on year decline of 24%.
New research launched today (3rd December) by the Association of Convenience Stores has revealed the important role that convenience stores play to both the economy and local communities in Wales.
The 2020 Welsh Local Shop Report revealed that 62% of local shops in Wales operate in rural locations, providing essential services to their local communities, including bill payment services (79%), cash machines (68%) and Post Offices (25%).
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is encouraging retailers to host store visits during the General Election campaign 2019 with their local candidates to communicate the important economic and social contribution that convenience retailers make to their communities.
Hosting a store visit is an effective way for retailers to ensure that their local candidates are aware of the issues that affect their business and can also help them to understand how to support the people and businesses in the convenience sector.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has highlighted the convenience sector’s commitment to providing free water refills to customers in response to a new report from Greenpeace.
The Conservative Party have launched their manifesto ahead of the General Election, pledging to ‘unleash Britain’s potential’ after leaving the European Union.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched the manifesto at an event in the West Midlands on Sunday afternoon, guaranteeing that he would get the current Brexit deal through Parliament if the General Election returned a Conservative majority.
Some of the headline policies and commitments made in the manifesto that could affect local shops include:
Employment
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is calling on retailers to share their experiences of retail crime over the last 12 months in their 2020 Crime Survey.
Launched today, the survey examines the impact that crime has on the convenience sector looking at how crime is affecting retailers, number of incidents experienced and how much crime has cost businesses over the last year. The survey also considers the causes of these crimes and the measures retailers have in place to prevent crime in their stores.
The Labour Party have launched their manifesto ahead of the 2019 General Election, with a focus on ‘real change’ and detailing plans to negotiate a ‘sensible deal’ with the EU before putting this to the country in another referendum.
Launched today (21st November), It’s time for real change, sets out the party’s pledges including plans for a real living wage of £10 an hour and reviewing the option of a land value tax on commercial landlords as an alternative to business rates.
Key pledges include:
The Liberal Democrats have published their manifesto ahead of the 2019 General Election, pledging to stop Brexit if they were to form the next Government.
The manifesto, Stop Brexit and Build a Better Future, focuses primarily on keeping Britain in the European Union, as well as tackling the ‘climate emergency’ by generating 80% of electricity from renewables.
Commitments made in the manifesto include:
The Green Party have launched their full manifesto ahead of the General Election on 12th December, detailing their plans to tackle ‘the Climate Emergency and deliver social justice’.
The party’s manifesto focuses on their Green New Deal, which outlines the ways that they will fulfil their pledge to reach net zero carbon emissions in the UK by 2030. This includes plans to ban the production of single-use plastics, extend the tax on plastic bags to cover plastic bottles, single-use plastics and microplastics, and extend plastic bottle deposit schemes.
Today (18th November) Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled a package of measures in his speech to the annual CBI conference which aim to “help business flourish”.
In his speech, Johnson announced plans for a fundamental review of the business rates system to reduce the burden on businesses.
Figures from the ACS 2019 Local Shop Report show that the convenience sector currently pays around £308m in business rates.
