ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has praised the work that local shops in Wales do in their communities as part of the launch of the 2024 Welsh Local Shop Report.
At the launch of the report today (Thursday 14th March) in the Senedd (the Welsh Parliament), ACS engaged with members of the Senedd on the role that convenience stores play in communities across Wales and emphasised the importance of local shops not just as community hubs, but also as local investors and job creators.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is celebrating the crucial role that rural shops play in thousands of communities across the UK as part of the launch of the 2024 Rural Shop Report.
The 2024 Rural Shop Report, launched today in Parliament, outlines the difference that the UK’s 17,986 rural shops make as secure local employers, as entrepreneurs investing and working with local businesses, and as essential service providers.
Key findings from the 2024 Rural Shop Report include:
The Association of Convenience Stores has called on the Government to ensure that rural shops are included in its plans to level up the UK economy. Published today, the 2020 Rural Shop Report outlines the crucial role that rural shops play in people’s daily lives as job creators, service providers and social hubs.
New research launched today (3rd December) by the Association of Convenience Stores has revealed the important role that convenience stores play to both the economy and local communities in Wales.
The 2020 Welsh Local Shop Report revealed that 62% of local shops in Wales operate in rural locations, providing essential services to their local communities, including bill payment services (79%), cash machines (68%) and Post Offices (25%).
New research launched today (3rd December) by the Association of Convenience Stores has revealed the important role that convenience stores play to both the economy and local communities in Wales.
The 2020 Welsh Local Shop Report revealed that 62% of local shops in Wales operate in rural locations, providing essential services to their local communities, including bill payment services (79%), cash machines (68%) and Post Offices (25%).
The 2019 Crime Report, published today by the Association of Convenience Stores, has revealed that crimes committed against the convenience sector cost an estimated £246m over the last year, equivalent to over £5,300 for every store in the UK, or what amounts to a 7p tax on every transaction.
But the report also found shocking new evidence of the human cost of violence and abuse against retailers and shopworkers, with a staggering 83% of people working in convenience stores having been subject to verbal abuse over the last year.
The Association of Convenience Stores has called on the Government to ensure that there is a level playing field for the UK’s 16,944 rural convenience stores which allows them to keep pace with new technology and continue providing essential services to local people.
The 2019 Rural Shop Report reveals that rural convenience stores provide flexible jobs for almost 140,000 people, have invested over £271m in improving their businesses, and are providing a wider range of services despite being hampered by slower than average broadband speeds and unreliable mobile connectivity.
The 2018 Forecourt Report has revealed the essential role that the UK's 8,418 forecourts play in the lives of consumers, the improvements that forecourts are making in their businesses, and the challenges they face in the future.
The report details the investment that forecourt stores are making in improving their offering to customers through new technologies, more efficient refrigeration and a wider food offer, with over £11,000 invested per store on average.
Other key findings from the report include:
