News

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the Chancellor's announcement in today's Autumn Statement on reform of the business rates system. During his Statement, the Chancellor announced the following measures as taken from the Autumn Statement document:

The Association of Convenience Stores, a trade association of over 33,500 shops representing an industry worth over £37bn to the economy, has called for the following measures to make the business rates system fairer ahead of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement today:

ACS has welcomed the Home Office’s simplified personal licence renewal application process for retailers prior to the implementation of the Deregulation Bill in early 2015. On Friday (28^th November), the Home Office confirmed that they would be simplifying the renewal procedure for licensees who need to renew their personal licences between now and early 2015.

Two new guidance documents have been launched today by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) to support retailers and police in the fight against crime.

Launched as part of the Home Office’s Crime Prevention Panel, the guidance is aimed at the prevention of fuel theft and issues surrounding the operation of self scan tills.

ACS has published a guide for convenience retailers on how to display men's lifestyle magazines. The Guide is designed to assist retailers in understanding best practice and how to comply with the longstanding industry code of practice. The guidance has been published as part of ACS' on-going commitment to deliver on the Prime Minister's challenge to reduce the exposure of children to sexualised imagery.

The Periodical Publishers Association has published a code of practice on the sale of these titles. The guidelines are available below, along with the ACS guide in full.

ACS has called on HM Treasury to set out a clear plan of communications and engagement with retailers ahead of the transition to the new £1 coin in 2017.

Award winning independent retailer, Sunder Sandher, has met local MP, Chris White, in his store to discuss some of the key issues that have been affecting his business ahead of the election in May.

Sunder talked to Chris White MP about the savings that he had recently made on his business rates by going through the Rates Bill line by line and making sure it matched up with his store. Through attention to detail alone, Sunder reclaimed over £4,000 in overpaid business rates.

ACS is challenging retailers to find and share the best ideas in convenience stores from around the globe as part of a host of changes to the industry leading Summit conference, taking place in Birmingham on April 21^st 2015.

This year, the Summit programme for 2015 will be split in to three inspiring sections, ‘The Big Download’, ‘The Master Plan’ and ‘The Ideas Studio’.

ACS appeared on BBC Newsnight last night to discuss changing consumer habits and trends toward more convenience shopping.

In response to a report published on Monday by Goldman Sachs, which was critical of the number of supermarkets in operation, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman was joined by journalist and broadcaster Harry Wallop in a discussion with presenter Evan Davis about the growth of the convenience sector and online retailing.

Independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers and the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) are offering a reward of up to £10,000 for information leading to the location, arrest and conviction of Michael McInerney

The 32-year-old, of no fixed abode, was arrested in connection with the murder of shop owner Arulchelvam Prasanna last year but failed to answer bail and is still on the run from police.

Father-of-one Mr Prasanna, from Watford, was found with severe head injuries in a Costco car park in Hartspring Lane, Bushey, Watford, at 2.45pm on May 26, 2013.