New figures released today by LINK, the body that oversees the ATM network, has shown that there has been a 2% decline (1,300 ATMs) in the free-to-use ATM network.
Between February and the start of July 2018, the number of free-to-use ATMs reduced from 54,500 to 53,200.
The 2018 Local Shop Report has revealed that convenience retailers are countering cost increases in their business by investing in services, opening for longer and employing more people on flexible part time contracts.
Over the last year, there has been an increase in the average number of people working in stores, with the sector overall now employing almost 365,000 people, although this has been coupled with a move to colleagues working shorter hours.
Key findings from this year’s report include:
The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a consultation on proposals to end the sale of energy drinks to children.
The consultation proposes that a ban would apply to drinks (excluding tea and coffee) that contain more than 150mg of caffeine. Under existing labelling rules, drinks that fall into this category require a warning label saying: ‘High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breastfeeding women.’
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed the publication of terms of reference for a market review into the supply of card payment services from the Payment Systems Regulator.
The review will look at the fees that are charged to merchants (retailers) by acquirers such as WorldPay, Barclaycard and others. This fee, known as the merchant service charge rate, includes the interchange fee (capped by EU regulations), profit for the acquirer, and card scheme fees which are currently unregulated.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is supporting the Best Small Shops competition (BSSC), celebrating the creativity of UK independent retailers and the key role that they play on the high street and in their local communities.
The BSSC, managed by the Independent Retailers Confederation, is open to UK independent retailers and will look at their entrepreneurial skills, community values and customer service. Retailers can enter by submitting details of their business via the online application form.
ACS has responded to the publication of the Scottish Government’s Diet & Healthy Weight Delivery Plan, ‘A Healthier Future’, calling on the Scottish Government to consider the impact of their proposals on small shops.
The new plan aims to halve the rates of childhood obesity by 2030 by including actions to ensure that the food environment supports healthier choices.
Measures announced for consultation later this year in the Diet and Healthy Weight Delivery Plan include:
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is supporting a new campaign set to pilot new ways to improve recycling rates of food and drink packaging on-the-go.
#LeedsByExample is a campaign launched by environmental behaviour change charity Hubbub and recycling compliance scheme Ecosurety. The campaign aims to improve recycling rates through a unique partnership of large businesses, new ground-breaking technology and engaging communications activities.
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has condemned LINK’s decision to reduce interchange fees for cash machine operators, raising concerns that cash machines in rural and isolated communities could be lost as a result of the changes.
LINK confirmed in January this year that over the next four years, they plan to reduce the interchange fee (the fee paid by banks to cash machine operators) from 25p to 20p. The first of these reductions will come into effect this Sunday (July 1st).
ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to an inquiry led by the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee on the future of UK high streets and town centres, calling on the Committee to look at ways to reduce the burden of business rates on retailers trading on high streets.
In the submission, ACS has called for a series of measures to ensure the sustainability of high streets and the ability of retailers trading on high streets to invest. Recommendations made in the submission include:
ACS has responded to the publication of a new report from consumer group Which? that warns of 60 bank branches closing every month, highlighting the role of convenience stores in continuing to provide banking services for local customers.
The report found that 2,868 branches will have closed between 2015 and the end of 2018, with Scotland, the South East and the North West seeing the most closures per region.
