News

The Cross Party Group on Small Shops has met to raise awareness across the Senedd about the extent and impact of violence and abuse faced by shopworkers.

The meeting was chaired by Vikki Howells MS and attended by a number of MSs, independent retail trade associations, trade union USDAW and independent retailers.

During the meeting, ACS government relations director Edward Woodall presented the findings of ACS’ 2022 Crime Report and talked about the #ShopKind campaign.

ACS has highlighted its guidance for retailers on upcoming calorie labelling regulations, coming into force from April this year.

The new rules, which primarily affect the out-of-home sector, will require retailers in scope to add calorie and portion information to menus and displays of products like ready to eat pizzas, hot beverages, bakery items and PPDS (pre-packed for direct sale) foods. Retailers will also be required to clearly display a notice highlighting the number of calories recommended for an adult in a day.

ACS has created a simple summary which helps retailers understand what they can do when responding to the war in Ukraine. This graphic has been created based on conversations with members about actions currently being taken, both in terms of the impact on products and in finding legitimate sources to donate to.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has written to the Prime Minister, calling for an urgent review of the introduction of location and promotional restrictions on HFSS products.

Book your place at ACS’ biggest annual conference, taking place at the Vox in Birmingham on 26th April.

This year’s conference will explore how convenience stores are separating themselves from the competition right now and look ahead to the future at what the sector could look like in 2030.

Confirmed speakers include:

The UK’s local shops are fighting back against the torrent of crimes committed against them by investing a record £246m in crime prevention measures over the last year.

The 2022 Crime Report, published today by the Association of Convenience Stores, shows that on average, each store in the convenience sector spent over £5,000 on crime prevention measures including security staff, CCTV and intruder alarms.

ACS is highlighting the importance of women working as colleagues, store owners and leaders in the convenience sector to celebrate International Women’s Day today (March 8^th).

There are currently over 392,000 people working in the convenience sector, 70% of which are women. Working in the convenience sector is secure, local and flexible, especially for those who have childcare commitments or are caring for other family members.

ACS has set out its recommendations to the Chancellor ahead of the Spring Statement later this month, calling on the Government to support local shops with rising costs and the looming reintroduction of business rates bills.

Content supplied by DSL Group:

DSL Group has joined the ACS to assist its growth within the UK convenience sector. DSL offers innovative consumer products for retailers seeking maximum returns for minimum risk.  

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is calling on people working in local shops to provide their views on employment in the convenience sector as part of its annual Colleague Survey.

Now in its seventh year, the ACS Colleague Survey is designed to: