News

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is reminding retailers to ensure they are prepared for the introduction of Natasha’s Law.

From 1st October 2021, any food that is prepared on site and pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) will need to be labelled with the name of the food and a full ingredients list. 

Foods that are pre-packed for direct sale are packaged at the same place that they are offered for sale or sold to customers.

Examples of PPDS foods include:

ACS has welcomed a new consultation launched today by the Government on enhancing flexible working rights and making the right to request flexible working, a day one right.

Convenience stores provide local, secure and flexible employment to 392,000 people across the country, 64% of whom have childcare or family commitments that need to flex around their work.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has signed an open letter to Chancellor Rishi Sunak alongside a group of organisations collectively representing hundreds of thousands of small businesses, millions of consumers to take urgent action to protect access to cash.

Key recommendations from the letter include:

Content supplied by Mondelez: 

Mondelēz International announced that Cadbury Dairy Milk made in Bournville and sold in the UK and Ireland is to be made with packaging containing up to 30% recycled plastic.

Cadbury, the UK’s biggest food brand, will roll out the packaging innovation on more than 28 million sharing bars in 2022.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has launched new guidance for the convenience sector to provide retailers with practical advice on how to support wellbeing for themselves and their colleagues.

The Wellbeing Guide has been developed in collaboration with the What Works Centre for Wellbeing (WWCW) to provide guidance for retailers of all sizes about practical steps to take on the shop floor to improve staff retention and customer service via a healthy, engaged workforce.

The guide looks at eight key areas of wellbeing, which are:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has launched new posters to help retailers communicate national vaccination policies to their colleagues. The posters can be used by retailers to encourage colleagues to take up their opportunity to have their flu and Covid-19 vaccinations.

ACS chief executive James Lowman said: “Convenience retailers have worked tirelessly to ensure that they can continue to serve their communities while keeping their staff and customers safe.

Book your place at ACS' Heart of the Community conference, taking from 11.30am – 6.00pm on 18th October at One Great George Street, Westminster.

ACS’ unmissable political conference will bring together over 200 retailers and will address sustainability for local shops and the emerging politics which will impact stores beyond the pandemic.

Ben Page, Ipsos MORI chief executive, has been confirmed to address the conference and will explore the changing political landscape. Ben has worked with Government and Opposition Ministers to examine consumer trends and public behaviour.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is reminding convenience retailers to ensure that they are aware of the rules and guidelines that apply to the sale and storage of fireworks.

Retailers must apply for permission to store fireworks from their local trading standards service or fire authority. If permission to store fireworks is granted, then fireworks can be sold within the following dates:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has briefed Peers ahead of the Second Reading of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill (PCSC) in the House of Lords, calling for the Government to consider amendments which would introduce tougher sentencing to address attacks against shopworkers.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a consultation from the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) on its five-year strategy, calling for the regulator to prioritise reducing the cost of anti-competitive and opaque card scheme fees.  

The draft strategy identifies four key priorities: