News

ACS is calling on retailers to share their experiences of retail crime over the last 12 months as part of the Crime Survey 2016.

The survey asks retailers to outline the number of incidents of crime they have experienced, including shop theft, robberies and anti-social behavioural incidents. The survey also looks into the causes of these crimes and what measures retailers have in place to prevent crime from happening in their stores.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to figures on business rate reliefs released today by the Department for Communities and Local Government, calling for an extension of the business rate discount for small businesses.

The figures show that local authorities granted £1,061 million in relief under the Small Business Rate Relief scheme in 2014-15, up 7.7% on the previous year. Additionally, the amount of relief granted to empty premises fell 4.2% to £947m.

Community Alcohol Partnerships have today published a report, Progress through Partnerships: Creating Safer Communities, showing the positive impacts that the 88 CAPs in place across the UK have had on crime, anti-social behavior, litter, residents’ feelings of safety and underage/proxy purchasing.

Some of the successes of Community Alcohol Partnerships include:

Exeter MP Ben Bradshaw has met with independent retailer Clive Sheppard at his SPAR store on Magdalen Road to talk about the issues affecting his business and the proposed changes to Sunday trading regulations.

The community focussed store is located in a vibrant shopping district a short distance away from the City Centre. Trade declined significantly some three years ago when a supermarket opened nearby, but has now risen back to previous levels following an extensive investment in refitting the store and introducing new categories.

The Association of Convenience Stores has outlined the damage that devolution of Sunday trading laws will have on jobs and the economy.

In evidence submitted to Government last month, ACS cites research conducted by Oxford Economics, who have calculated that if implemented by councils across England and Wales, extended Sunday trading hours would cost small shops in excess of £870m whilst generating no extra revenue for the economy overall, leading to a net loss of 3,270 jobs across the retail industry.

ACS has welcomed a letter from campaign group Keep Sunday Special and Conservative MPs, outlining their support for the existing Sunday trading regulations.

The letter, published in the Telegraph today (11 November), details a list of 20 MPs who have called on the Government to drop the controversial plans to devolve Sunday trading powers to local authorities.

Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers has outlined his support for retaining the existing Sunday trading regulations in a visit to a SPAR store in Humberston operated by Blakemore Retail.

Reserve your free place now at this November’s ACS Responsible Retailing Forum, providing you with the tools and knowledge to ensure your convenience store is fully compliant with upcoming regulations.

The Forum, taking place in Westminster, London, will guarantee you are up-to-date with all of the fast-changing retail legislation and enable you to update your store’s policies and procedures.

ACS has called on the chancellor to take action on business rates, employment costs and drop proposals to devolve Sunday trading rules in its submission to the Treasury ahead of the Autumn Statement on 25th November.

ACS has warned the Low Pay Commission that the upcoming introduction of the Living Wage will force retailers to scale back their business plans.

In an oral evidence session, ACS Head of Policy and Public Affairs Edward Woodall outlined the issues that retailers will face when having to fund a £7.20 wage rate for over 25s in their business.