News

Alongside ten other business groups, ACS has written to the Welsh Finance Secretary Rebecca Evans AM urging her to consider more frequent revaluations of business rates in Wales.

The joint letter calls for the Welsh Government to bring business rates revaluations forward to every three years rather than every five years to bring the nation in line with proposals in England and Scotland.

The eleven business groups represent a number of sectors including retail, hospitality, commercial property, construction, and leisure.

Home Office Minister Kit Malthouse MP has committed to a review of the £200 threshold for the police prosecuting shop theft offences after the General Election, as part of a debate on retail crime in Parliament today.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the findings of a report from the House of Commons Petitions Committee’s inquiry on the sale and use of fireworks.

The inquiry was launched as result of a number of petitions from the public expressing concerns about the impact of fireworks and calls for tighter restrictions and a total ban on public sales and use.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has written to the Minister of State for the Home Office Kit Malthouse MP, calling for an urgent response to the call for evidence on violence and abuse toward shopworkers ahead of a parliamentary debate on prevention of retail crime.

In the letter, ACS revealed that there has been an estimated 200,000 assaults and threats of people working in retail and wholesale sector since the Home Office’s call for evidence closed.

Retailers and wholesalers have written to HMRC calling for answers over concerns about ongoing problems with requirements under the track and trace regulations to scan and record the movement and sale of tobacco.

The letter, written by the Association of Convenience Stores and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors to the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, highlights serious concerns over range of issues that remain unaddressed with the introduction of track and trace rules for tobacco products. 

The new chair and vice chair of ACS officially take on their roles from today. Central England Co-operative Chief Executive Debbie Robinson is the new chair, with independent retailer Paul Stone taking on the role of vice chair.

Debbie Robinson takes the place of Sewell Retail Ltd Managing Director Patrick Sewell as chair of the board. Patrick has served as chair since November 2016, and will remain on the ACS board.

ACS has welcomed a series of recommendations from the Treasury Select Committee on the future of business rates. 

The Treasury Select Committee launched the Impact of business rates on business inquiry in February this year to assess how business rates policy has changed, including business rates retention, alternatives to property-based taxes, such as the proposed digital services tax, and how changes to business rates could impact businesses.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed findings of research conducted by the Food Research Collaboration (FRC) on engaging convenience retailers with healthy foods.

The Food Research Collaboration is an initiative of the Centre for Food Policy, City, University of London which looks to improve the UK food system.

Yesterday (29^th October) MPs voted in favour of an early General Election to be held on 12^th December.

The Early Parliamentary General Election legislation will now pass through the House of Lords and is not expected to be opposed. Once the legislation passes, Parliament will dissolve on 6^th December to begin a five-week campaign up to polling day.

Retailers may want to consider hosting a store visit with the candidates in their constituency, to raise the issues that affect their colleagues and the day to day running of their business.

Fireworks are popular with consumers in the lead up to events such as Bonfire Night (5^th November). The sale of fireworks is a highly regulated area and it is vital that convenience retailers ensure that they are aware of the rules and guidelines that apply to the sale and storage of these products.

Retailers must apply for permission to store fireworks from their local trading standards service or fire authority. If permission to store fireworks is granted, then fireworks can be sold within the following dates: