News

Independent convenience retailer, Jinx Hundal, was joined by his shop’s Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPC) at his One Stop store in his local constituency of Norwich South on 28^th April.

Jinx invited his store’s PPCs to visit his store to discuss the important role that his shop plays within the local community and to discuss pressing issues which affect his business on a day-to-day basis.

Independent retailer, Mo Razzaq, recently invited his Prospective Parliamentary Candidate to his Mo's Family Shopper store to discuss some of the key issues that have been affecting his business ahead of the election.

Mo invited Tom Greatrex, the Scottish Labour & Co-operative Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Mo’s store in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituency, to his store to highlight the important role that local shops play within the community and economy.

The UK general election is now just over a week away, providing retailers with the perfect opportunity to show their store’s prospective candidates the important role convenience stores play in the local community and economy.

ACS is encouraging retailers to sign up for Assured Advice and benefit from industry leading best practice on a range of issues affecting a convenience store business.

Assured Advice has been developed for convenience store owners by ACS and Surrey County Council. By signing up to ACS’ Assured Advice primary authority scheme and following the guidance, your store procedures must be respected by ALL local enforcement officers including environmental health, police and trading standards – but you must sign up to the scheme to benefit from this privilege.

ACS chief executive, James Lowman has set out the key issues likely to be facing convenience stores after the election at this year’s ACS Summit conference in Birmingham on 21^st April.

Mr Lowman highlighted business rates, the national minimum wage and the public health agenda as three areas where engagement on both a local and national level will be essential to the growth of the convenience sector, whoever forms the next government on May 7^th.

Award winning independent retailers, Linda Williams and Ramesh Shingadia, are set to go head to head at ACS Summit 15 in the first ever Battle of the Best.

The feature, debuting at this year’s Summit conference, sees the retailers travelling around the country in search of the best innovations and in-store practices to take back to Birmingham’s NEC – the site of Summit 15. On the day, those in attendance will have the opportunity vote for their favourite, with the winner taking home the coveted title of Battle of the Best champion.

The Scottish National Party have released their full manifesto ahead of the 2015 General Election on 7th May, pledging to make employment fairer for workers and to increase funding for small businesses.

The SNP have pledged to increase the minimum wage to £8.70 per hour by 2020, making a quarter of a million people in Scotland better off by up to £4,000 a year. They also back an increase in the minimum wage rate for 18 to 21 year olds to £6.86 by 2020, applying the same rate to apprentices; and will increase the wage rate for 16 to 18 year olds to £5.07 per hour.

SGF and ACS have expressed strong concerns about proposals to introduce a new licensing objective alongside the extension of overprovision powers in Scotland.

As part of its stage one scrutiny of the Air Weapons and Licensing Bill, the Scottish Parliament Local Government Committee has recommended that a new objective aimed at reducing alcohol consumption should be implemented. This would be in addition to the five licensing objectives which Boards in Scotland currently have to abide by.

We are less than one week away from the industry leading event of the year, ACS Summit, featuring a host of the most inspirational, motivating and knowledgeable speakers sharing their expertise. The conference, taking place on 21st April in Birmingham, is bursting with industry know-how, evolving trends and innovative ideas for retailers to take away to improve their business.

The United Kingdom Independence Party have released their full manifesto ahead of the 2015 General Election, setting out their proposals to cut the cost of business rates for small businesses and to reform planning regulations.

In their manifesto, UKIP have pledged to help small business with a cut to business rates by extending the small business rate relief; and to cut rates by 20% for business with only one property and a rateable value of less than £50,000.