We’ve got some exciting new content for you to explore on the ACS portal, which acts as a central hub for key information and resources specifically curated for ACS members and suppliers.
Below are some of our latest updates that can be viewed on the ACS portal:
New for 2025! Trading With Co-op
Our ‘Trading with…’ series is a collection of interviews held with leading retailers and symbol group operators where they are able to share exclusive insights into their businesses. The series aims to help you and your team members to gain a stronger understanding on how to trade with each business, what makes each business unique, and how they operate.
In our latest interview, ACS chief executive James Lowman was joined by Adele Balmforth, Proposition Director at the Co-op. You can watch the recording here to gain insights into Co-op’s business strategy, from store segmentation and consumer targeting to commercial decision-making.
ACS Midlands Study Tour
On the 13th February, we held our first ACS study tour of 2025. Starting at Leamington Spa, we travelled across across the Midlands to visit the best of convenience retailing, giving retailers and suppliers a chance to come together for the day to visit a selection of convenience stores, experiencing a range of formats and designs in different community settings, all while networking with leading individuals from our sector.
We were delighted to visit stores from members of our Independent Board Sunder Sandher, Sid Sidhu, and Paul Cheema!
The full list of leading convenience stores we visited were: One Stop, Budgens, MFG, Costcutter, Spar, and Heart of England Co-operative.
You can find out more about our tour and the stores we visited here.
Emerging Leaders Network: February 2025
Taking place just before the Midlands Store Tour, the ACS Emerging Leaders Network came together to play the latest iteration of the ACS Top2Top game that will be debuted at a dedicated event the following month. The network also heard from ACS Communications Director Chris Noice on strategies to improve the drafting and delivery of engaging presentations.
You can read more on the session, as well as brush up on some top tips on delivering engaging presentations here!
Alcohol Duty Stamps Briefing
The ACS Public Affairs team has been working hard on ensuring all businesses can prepare for upcoming legislation, such as the closure of the Alcohol Duty Stamps Scheme, coming into effect from 1st May 2025.
We have created a briefing document to explain what the scheme is, how to prepare for the closure of the scheme, as well as how to verify the legitimacy of alcohol products. You can access the briefing document on the portal here.
We've got lots more in store for you at ACS and will be updating the portal consistently as we move through the year, so make sure to check back regularly for the latest events, information, and resources!
You can register for our portal by emailing [email protected] or visiting https://www.acs.org.uk/web-portal/home
