News

ACS is urging retailers to write to their Police and Crime Commissioners, highlighting the problems that crime cause in their store and calling on them to pledge to ensure that police forces take shop theft and abuse of staff seriously.

The pledges that PCCs are being asked to sign up to include: 

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the publication of terms of reference for a market review into the supply of card payment services from the Payment Systems Regulator.

The review will look at the fees that are charged to merchants (retailers) by acquirers such as WorldPay, Barclaycard and others. This fee, known as the merchant service charge rate, includes the interchange fee (capped by EU regulations), profit for the acquirer, and card scheme fees which are currently unregulated.

The Plunkett Foundation are encouraging rural community owned businesses to enter the Community Ownership Awards which have been launched to celebrate the successes made by community owned enterprises throughout the UK.

Trade associations representing the UK convenience sector have given oral evidence to the Low Pay Commission, detailing how retailers have responded to recent increases in the National Living Wage and National Minimum Wage.

The evidence session featured the Association of Convenience Stores, the Scottish Grocers Federation and Retail NI providing information to the Commission on how wage increases have impacted productivity in the sector, the impact on employment practices, and how wage increases have affected other areas of the business such as the price of goods.

The Office for National Statistics has released figures on crime in England and Wales for the year ending March 2018, reporting a 3% increase in the number of shop theft offences to 382,100 over the last year.

Regionally, London has seen the biggest decrease in shop theft incidents with a fall of 2%, while the North East has seen the biggest increase, with 12% more shop theft incidents than the previous year.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed a new report from the All Party Parliamentary Group on the Illicit Trade, which recommends the creation of a dedicated UK Anti-Illicit Trade Group.

The UK Anti-Illicit Trade Group would include representatives from law enforcement, government, trade associations and other industry groups with the aim of preventing the illicit trade, raising awareness of the dangers of illicit products, and ensuring that enforcement against the illicit trade is effective.

ACS supplier member Concha y Toro has relaunched WineWise, a free category guide which aims to help independent retailers with wine sales.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed a decision by LINK to cancel an interchange fee cut expected in 2020 and review future reductions. 

The first reduction in interchange fees enforced by LINK of five per cent (equivalent to 1.25p per transaction) took effect on 1^st July 2018, with the second five per cent reduction due to take place on 1^st January 2019.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is encouraging retailers to enter their local area into the Great British High Street Awards (GBHS) 2018. Run by the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, the awards recognise and celebrate the local achievements of the nation’s high streets.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is supporting the Best Small Shops competition (BSSC), celebrating the creativity of UK independent retailers and the key role that they play on the high street and in their local communities.

The BSSC, managed by the Independent Retailers Confederation, is open to UK independent retailers and will look at their entrepreneurial skills, community values and customer service. Retailers can enter by submitting details of their business via the online application form.