ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has urged the Low Pay Commissi
02.04.2026
Minimum Wage
02.04.2026
Local shops face growing pressure from rising employment costs
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has urged the Low Pay Commissi
25.11.2025
National Living Wage to Rise to £12.71 in April 2026
ACS has welcomed clarity on the National Living Wage rate for 2026/7, and has called on the Government to support the convenience sector through the business rates system in this week’s Budget.
The Government have announced that they have accepted the Low Pay Commission’s recommendations on the future rate of the National Living Wage, increasing the headline rate by 50p to £12.71 per hour in April 2026.
18.07.2025
ACS Outlines Difficult Decisions Being Made as a Result of Employment Cost Rises
ACS has submitted oral evidence to the Low Pay Commission on the future direction of minimum wage rates, highlighting the impact that rising costs over the last year are already having on local shops.
30.06.2025
ACS Urges Low Pay Commission to Consider Impact on Businesses after Significant Cost Hikes in 2025
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has submitted evidence to the Low Pay Commission’s consultation on minimum wage rates, urging the Commission to take a cautious approach to future rate recommendations.
30.07.2024
Government Publishes Updated Remit for Low Pay Commission ahead of 2025 NLW Recommendations
The Department for Business and Trade have published an updated remit for the Low Pay Commission, following the change in Government after the General Election.
Every year, the Low Pay Commission gather evidence from businesses, workers and other interested parties about the impact of current National Living Wage rates, which is then followed by a recommendation to Government on what the following years’ rates should be. The Low Pay Commission’s decision-making process is focused by the remit that is given to it by the Government.
16.07.2024
ACS Gives Evidence to Low Pay Commission on Future Living Wage Rates
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has given oral evidence to the Low Pay Commission on the impact of the National Living Wage on the convenience sector, and the importance of stability when recommending future wage increases.
In a written submission to the Low Pay Commission earlier this year, ACS outlined the different ways that retailers are responding to recent increases in minimum wage rates. These include:
17.06.2019
ACS: Future Wage Rates Must Not Be Political Bargaining Tool
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has submitted evidence to the Low Pay Commission as part of their consultation on future minimum wage rates, calling for the process to remain independent, evidence-based and free of political pressure.
Minimum wages are expected to reach the Low Pay Commission’s target of 60% of median earnings by 2020, a rate which is currently predicted to be £8.67 for the National Living Wage. The Commission is currently consulting on its future remit post-2020.
30.05.2019
ACS Responds to ‘Low Pay Britain’ Report
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a new report from the Resolution Foundation which examines the extent of low pay across the economy.
The ‘Low Pay Britain’ report notes that the number of low-paid workers across Britain fell by almost 200,000 last year, including over 130,000 women and 120,000 people aged 21-30 (despite under 25s not being legally entitled to the NLW).
01.06.2018
Future National Living Wage Increases Must Not Come at the Expense of Jobs
ACS has called on the Low Pay Commission to ensure that future increases in wage rates do not negatively impact the labour market.
Figures from the ACS Local Shop Report show that in the last three years, the number of jobs in the convenience sector has fallen from 407,000 in 2015 to 370,000 in 2017 despite the number of stores remaining stable.
