The Welsh Assembly has pledged £20,000 towards getting four new Welsh Community Alcohol Partnerships off the ground in 2016 in recognition of the hugely successful Brecon CAP, which achieved a 39.5% reduction in alcohol-related youth anti-social behaviour.
Investment levels in the convenience store sector have recovered slightly over the last three months after a shock fall in the summer, while concern among retailers about employment costs has led to a widening gap in optimism between sales and staff hours for the year ahead.
ACS has welcomed the announcement of a Communities and Local Government Select Committee inquiry into the Government’s proposals to devolve rate setting powers to local authorities.
The Inquiry will examine the Government’s proposals to allow local authorities to retain 100 per cent of the full stock of business rates by 2020, to cut business rates, and for directly elected mayors to add a premium to business rates to pay for new infrastructure projects.
In the coming weeks, many consumers will be purchasing fireworks in the run up to the New Year celebrations. Convenience retailers, with permission from their local authority, are able to sell fireworks, however there are a number of compliance rules that must be followed.
As retailers prepare for Christmas, ACS is urging retailers to ensure that they are aware of products that have age restrictions on them.
All fireworks carry an age restriction, the vast majority of adult fireworks and sparklers cannot be sold to anyone under the age of 18. Caps, cracker snaps, novelty matches, party poppers, serpents and throwdowns carry an age restriction of 16. ACS recommends that you adopt the ‘Challenge 25’ policy when selling fireworks.
Freedom Music: UK convenience sector wasting more than £10m a year in music fees
The following information has been provided by ACS Club supplier Freedom Music.
Data gathered by in-store music experts, FreedomMusic, reveals that UK convenience stores are spending over £10 million a year, in PRS and PPL tariffs playing licensed music to their staff and customers in their stores.
The Chancellor has announced additional funding for those affected by flooding last weekend in Cumbria and Lancashire.
The Department of Communities and Local Government announced that businesses affected by flooding would be given business rate and council tax relief. Government officials are currently deliberating on the form that this relief will take.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has reiterated its opposition to proposals in the Public Health Bill to introduce a tobacco register for retailers ahead of a debate on the Bill in the National Assembly for Wales today (December 8th)
The Department for Communities and Local Government have announced the winners of the 2015 Great British High Street Awards, celebrating the contribution of diverse high streets to communities across the UK. The overall winner, Bishopthorpe Road in York, was selected for its work on an ambitious community app, as well as hosting a range of new events and food festivals.
ACS is encouraging convenience store retailers to get involved in Small Business Saturday 2015, taking place this year on December 5th.
Small Business Saturday UK is a grassroots, non-commercial campaign, which highlights small business success and encourages consumers to ‘shop local’ and support small businesses in their communities.The day itself takes place on the first shopping Saturday in December each year.
