Other

ACS has responded to the Chancellor's Budget, welcoming measures to support local shops through reductions in business rates. 

Comments from ACS chief executive James Lowman on the key announcements are below: 

ACS has reiterated its’ calls for the Chancellor to help retailers invest in their shops without being punished by the rating system ahead of the Budget on Monday (October 29^th).

In its’ Budget submission earlier this year, ACS set out a number of reforms to make business rates fairer for local shops, help them to improve their offer to customers, and invest in technology to remain competitive in a challenging retail market. ACS’ recommendations include:

ACS’ Security Showcase, taking place on 21st November at the bet365 Stadium in Stoke, will give retailers the opportunity to hear from suppliers about the latest crime prevention equipment and how it could reduce crime in their stores.

This new event for 2018 will begin by providing an insight into the extent and types of retail crime against the sector and the challenges retailers face in tackling these issues. There will then be presentations from suppliers of crime prevention equipment exploring the latest solutions and how they could benefit retailers and their stores.

ACS has welcomed the launch of a consultation from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which is considering a ban on plastic straws, cotton buds and stirrers.

The consultation notes that in England alone, consumers use an estimated 4.7bn plastic straws, 316m plastic stirrers and 1.8bn plastic-stemmed cotton buds. A proposed ban on these items would come into force at some point between October 2019 and October 2020.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the publication of the Office for National Statistics annual Crime Survey for England and Wales, highlighting the significant issues retailers and their staff face when dealing with shop theft.

According to the ONS survey, the number of police recorded shop theft incidents for the year ending June 2018 has reached 382,706, a 1% increase on the previous year. The survey also reports a significant increase in the number of violent offences recorded, increasing by 19% over the last year to 1.4million.