News

The Association of Convenience Stores has called on the Government to ensure that rural shops are included in its plans to level up the UK economy. Published today, the 2020 Rural Shop Report outlines the crucial role that rural shops play in people’s daily lives as job creators, service providers and social hubs.  

ACS has called on the Chancellor to encourage investment in the UK’s 8,400 forecourts by committing to a business rates review in the 2020 Budget on March 11^th.

In its’ submission to the Budget, ACS has called for a business rates system that encourages investment and helps business to change, is fair for every type of business, and improves access to products and services. Over the last year, independent forecourt retailers invested an average of £14,463 in their stores (ACS Forecourt Report 2019).

Book your place at the ACS Crime Seminar, taking place on 10^th March, from 9:30am to 12pm at the Conrad St James Hotel in Westminster.

The Crime Seminar will begin with the launch of ACS’ Crime Report 2020 and will give an exclusive first look at the findings before a discussion with a panel of police, retailers and industry experts.

Members of the House of Lords have raised concerns about access to cash in communities and the provision of free to use ATMs in a debate in parliament earlier this week.

During the debate, Lord Naseby urged the Government to consider changing the way that business rates are levied on through the wall, free to use ATMs, and called on the Payment Systems Regulator to intervene to stop continued cuts to interchange fees. 

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has teamed up with the social media experts from audience engagement platform Maybe* to launch new tools for retailers looking to make the most out of social media in their business.

Figures from the 2019 Local Shop Report show that Facebook is currently the most popular social platform for retailers with 39% using it in their business, followed by Twitter (27%), Instagram (11%) and WhatsApp (9%).

ACS has set out its recommendations to the Chancellor ahead of the 2020 Budget on March 11^th, calling for changes to policies on business rates, crime and employment costs to help boost the UK’s 46,000 local shops.

In the submission, ACS has urged the Government to give local shops and other small businesses the green light to invest without facing an increase in their rates bills as a result. Convenience stores invested £558m in their businesses in the year to November 2019, but this was down almost a quarter on the previous year.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) and SGF (the Scottish Grocers Federation) have issued a joint call to MSPs urging them to retain the Uniform Business Rate, highlighting the impact that it would have on convenience retailers if business rates were devolved.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a call for views launched by the Scottish Parliament Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee on the Protection of Workers (Retail and Age-restricted Goods and Services) (Scotland) Bill.

The Bill aims to increase protection for retail workers by:

The Government has confirmed that it will re-introduce the Environment Bill to Parliament, kick starting debate on the introduction of a deposit return scheme, reform of the PRN System and a new levy on single use plastics. 

ACS has warned that the legislation will pose operational challenges for local shops, especially around the details of a deposit return scheme which would require retailers to take back drinks containers in stores. ACS is working closely with Defra to shape the proposals.

Summit20 is an unmissable event for anyone involved with the convenience sector, bringing together retailers, suppliers, and industry experts from around the world to explore the successes and challenges of the industry and discuss new ideas retailers can walk away with.

This year's event, taking place on March 31st at the Vox in Birmingham, will focus on two of the biggest questions facing the convenience sector in the future, looking at whether convenience stores are primarily food retailers, and how the role of colleagues is changing in store.