News

ACS is inviting retailers to attend the Cross-Party Group on Small Shops’ annual reception in the National Assembly for Wales to launch the Welsh Local Shop Report 2018.

The Welsh Local Shop Report will provide a comprehensive overview of the convenience sector in Wales and the latest trends, including profiles of the entrepreneurs that run them, the investments they make and services they provide in the community.

GroceryAid provides a confidential Helpline which is available 24/7 to assist callers across a wide range of subjects, from financial to personal issues. For people who prefer not to call in, there is a web-based range of self-help tools and advice, including online chat. For those people who are suffering from stress, anxiety and depression, the Beating the Blues programme is available. This is the only cognitive behavioural computer training package that has National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recognition as a treatment for anxiety and depression.

From 1^st March 2018, The Bank of England will withdraw legal tender status of the paper £10 and it will be replaced by the polymer £10 note, which first entered circulation on 14^th September 2017.

The Bank of England is urging retailers to ensure that their business is prepared and follow the steps that they have outlined before March 1^st.

The checklist for businesses includes:

Peas Please has launched a new campaign calling for a dedicated advertising fund to improve the image of vegetables for consumers.

The campaign calls for a dedicated Veg Ad Fund, made up of contributions from the Government, retailers and producers that would enable vegetables to receive marketing investment that will see veg advertising compete with branded chocolates, fast food outlets and soft-drinks.

It’s been a big start to the year for plastic. Last week Theresa May’s speech on a long-term plan for the environment was heavily focused on how to cut back the use of plastic, and particularly to reduce plastic in the oceans. Now Iceland (the retailer, not the country in the North Atlantic, although maybe they will also be doing this at some point soon) has pledged to end plastic packaging on their own-brand products by 2023. Given that many of the products that you, as a convenience retailer, will stock are packaged in plastic, what does this mean for you?

ACS has responded to the Welsh Government consultation on reforming the business rates appeals system, calling for greater transparency for the data used to arrive at valuations and warning against repeating the new ‘Check, Challenge, Appeal’ appeals system in England.  

The Welsh Government’s consultation aims to reduce speculative appeals and includes proposals to introduce fees for ratepayers and amend time limits for the VOA and VTW at each stage of an appeal.

ACS is advising members to prepare for new rules that will stop them from charging customers to use credit or debit cards in store. Current EU rules prohibit businesses from charging customers more than the costs of offering card payments, but will now go further by banning surcharging completely, so retailers have to offer the same price regardless of the means of payment.

ACS has welcomed the Prime Minister’s announcement of the Government’s long-term plan to protect the environment, including measures to reduce plastic packaging, with specific proposals to extend the 5p charge on single use plastic bags to all retailers in England.

In the announcements made today, the government state that they “want to extend the scheme so that small retailers also charge for bags. We’ll first be looking at voluntary agreements with the industry to achieve this, before we consider making this compulsory.”

On February 20^th ACS will be hosting the Technology Showcase and HostedOne2Ones at The Library of Birmingham

The Technology Showcase provides an exclusive insight into the new and exciting innovations which retailers can use to improve their customers’ shopping experience and help to the day to day running of their store. Click here to book your free place.