News

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has produced a guide to help retailers prepare for submitting quarterly tax updates digitally under HMRC’s Making Tax Digital (MTD) reforms.

From 1st April 2019, businesses with a taxable turnover above the VAT threshold (currently £85,000) must:

The lead up to Bonfire Night (5^th November) often provides great opportunities for convenience store retailers to maximise their sales through seasonal products. However, there are a few things that retailers should take into consideration during the autumn months. ACS has produced Assured Advice Guides to support retailers with ‘Preventing Underage Sales’ and ‘Selling Fireworks’.

The ACS HostedOne2Ones event, taking place on December 12^th at One Park Crescent in London, is a business speed dating experience giving retailers the opportunity to have short meetings with our Premier Club and Club suppliers and start negotiating the best deals.

This event allows our Premier Club and Club suppliers to meet with retailers and gain an increased understanding of the convenience sector and is an opportunity for retailers to build new and exciting relationships with some of the biggest suppliers within the sector.

ACS has called on MPs to give extra protections in law to retail workers selling age restricted products after a new strategy from the Government has been launched to support NHS staff who face abuse. 

The strategy, announced today by Health Secretary Matt Hancock, includes legislation passed this year that makes offences against NHS workers aggravated. 

ACS is supporting new clause 1 of the Offensive Weapons Bill, which calls for protections for retail staff that sell potentially harmful products like corrosive substances. 

Budgets are always a mix of good and bad news for pretty much any business sector, and indeed for individuals and families and other interest groups.  Looking narrowly at the 2018 Budget from the perspective of our members, I’d say there’s more positive than negative news in there.  I’d also give the caveat that much of the real Budget news comes in the documents published when the Chancellor sits down, detailing the proposals, processes and timelines for the headline announcements he skipped over at the despatch

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 welcomed indications that the Chancellor will take significant steps to reduce the burden of business rates for small shops.

A number of news outlets are reporting this weekend that Monday’s Budget will include the announcement of significant extensions to small business rate relief to include stores with a rateable value of up to £51,000.

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 has responded to the publication of the Home Affairs Committee’s report into policing, urging the Government to take action to ensure that police forces are adequately resourced to deal with crime. ACS figures show that over three quarters of retailers are concerned about the response from police when crimes are committed against their business.

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.