News

ACS has urged the Government to extend the plastic bag charge to small retailers as soon as possible after DEFRA (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) published figures which show that sales of plastic bags by the seven biggest retailers in England have fallen by 90% since the 5p charge was introduced in 2015. The figures also reveal that 5p plastic bag sales have contributed around £169 million toward charities and other good causes since the charge was introduced on 5 October 2015.

Book your place at ACS’ Heart of the Community Conference taking place on Tuesday 15th October at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster between 10.45am-3pm followed by a Parliamentary Reception from 4-6pm.

Award-winning presenter and Political Editor for Good Morning Britain Ranvir Singh, will address the conference, providing political context and insight.

ACS has written to new Prime Minister Boris Johnson, urging him to take immediate action to support the convenience sector.  The letter outlines four recommendations, none requiring additional legislation, demonstrating the PM’s commitment to helping local shops.

The recommendations are:

Retailers and wholesalers have written to the Government raising concerns about ongoing issues with the introduction of tobacco track and trace regulations. 

The ‘track and trace’ regulations introduced on 20th May 2019 put in place a new method of tracking the sale of legitimate tobacco products through the supply chain. The regulations require retailers and wholesalers to scan the movement and record the sale of cigarettes and hand-rolling tobacco through the supply chain up until the first retail outlet.

ACS has urged the Government to ensure that it fully considers the long term costs and implications of a deposit return scheme after the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs committed to further consultation on the issue.

This morning (Tuesday), DEFRA published its summary of the consultation responses and committed to introducing a deposit return scheme in England and Wales no later than 2023, with further consultation due in 2020. In total, DEFRA received 1,180 responses to the initial consultation.

The Department for Health and Social Care have confirmed today (Monday) that under 16s will be banned from purchasing energy drinks.

The Government consulted in August 2018 on the introduction of an age restriction for energy drinks as part of the Childhood Obesity Strategy Chapter II.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has called for greater protection for access to cash, highlighting the role that convenience stores play in offering this service to their local communities.

New figures today (22nd July) from LINK, the UK’s main cash machine network, show that cash withdrawals from ATMs declined year-on-year across the UK's nations and regions in early 2019.

Figures from the 2018 Local Shop Report show that 46% of convenience stores offer a free to use cash machine, with 16% offering a charging cash machine.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has given oral evidence today (18^th July) to the Low Pay Commission, detailing the impact that rising costs from wage increases have on the convenience sector and raising concerns about future wage rates.

Minimum wages are expected to reach the Low Pay Commission’s target of 60% of median earnings by 2020, a rate which is currently predicted to be £8.62 for the National Living Wage. The Commission is currently consulting on its future remit post-2020.

ACS is calling on the Government to tackle violence against shopworkers as new police recorded crime figures shows a rise in violence.

The ONS Crime Survey for England and Wales published today (Thursday) has found an increase in violence resulting injury by 7% compared March 2018. The figures reinforce the findings of ACS’ Crime Report 2019:

New figures published today by the Home Office have revealed that just 7.8% of crimes reported in the last year resulted in a charge or summons for offenders, down from 9.1% in the previous year.

The Crime Outcomes in England and Wales report from the Home Office outlines the different ways that reported crimes are dealt with by police. Across all crime, 44.4% of investigations result in no suspect being identified, rising to 74.4% for theft offences.