News

An ban on single use plastic has been implemented in Wales today (30 October). Retailers in Wales will not be able to sell or supply to customers the following single use plastic items:

1.    Plates – this includes paper plates with a laminated plastic surface
2.    Cutlery – for example forks, spoons, knives
3.    Drinks stirrers – those designed for stirring drinks or liquid food
4.    Cups made of expanded or foamed extruded polystyrene

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the publication of the new Retail Crime Action Plan, which sets out the way that police should respond to and investigate thefts against convenience stores and other retail businesses. 

The Retail Crime Action Plan, published by the National Police Chiefs Council today (23^rd October), sets out a series of guidelines for the police on the following areas: 

Taking place on 21st November at the National Football Museum in Manchester, our Innovation Showcase is a must-attend event for retailers and suppliers to discover the latest products and services which are set to transform convenience retailing.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have seen an increase in the number of shop theft incidents reported to the police in England and Wales over the last year.

Released today (19th October) the figures from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) show a 25% increase of incidents of shop theft to a total of 365,164 offences in the year ending June 2023.

ACS is delighted to announce the winner of the 2023 Raj Aggarwal Trophy as the Williams Family of Premier Broadway in Edinburgh. 

The trophy is awarded to retailers who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to community retailing over the last year, supporting their colleagues, customers and fellow retailers. 

ShopKind is supporting Safer Business Action Week and encouraging all ShopKind supporters to get involved by promoting ShopKind materials and spreading the campaign message across their network.

Taking place from 16^th October, the aim of the week is to put a focus on business crime, raise awareness of the issues affecting businesses and highlight the existing work that is taking place to provide support to businesses.

The Department of Health & Social Care has published details of a new consultation on ‘Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping’, setting out a range of options to reduce vape product availability to young people and introduce new laws that would stop anyone born after the start of 2009 from ever being able to legally purchase tobacco. 

The 2023 Forecourt Report, published today by the Association of Convenience Stores, has highlighted the challenges and future opportunities for forecourt convenience retailers amid a changing fuel and vehicle market. 

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has signed up to a call to action alongside over 100 organisations, urging the next Government to take action to tackle loneliness.

ACS has welcomed a commitment from Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper MP to get tougher on the ‘epidemic’ of shoplifting gangs through the introduction of new laws for attacking a shopworker.

In her speech to the Labour Party Conference this morning, the Shadow Home Secretary highlighted the issues being faced by retailers and shopworkers across the UK with theft and abuse, and the challenges that they’re dealing with when it comes to getting meaningful intervention from the police.