UK convenience store retailers have invested more in their staff over the last three months than at any time since the start of 2012, according to new research from the Association of Convenience Stores.
Research conducted by ACS has shown that for the first time since the start of the Voice of Local Shops Survey, there are more retailers that have increased the number of staff hours in their business than those who have decreased hours. In addition, the business performance of convenience stores is at its highest ever level in the survey’s history.
ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said: “Convenience stores have been outperforming the rest of the grocery market consistently in recent years, generating over £37bn in sales over the last year alone. Retailers are focused on making sustainable investment in their business by making more hours available for staff, but this also comes with caution. Optimism levels are down on earlier in the year and there are an increasing number of retailers who expect staff hours to decline over the next twelve months as they prepare to deal with an increase in the national minimum wage in October.”
Other key findings from the survey include:
- 80% of convenience retailers nationally are actively involved in their community, with that figure rising to 88% in the South West of England
- The best performing region in terms of sales is London, while the South West and Wales have performed worst over the last three months
- Scottish retailers experience the lowest level of shop theft in the UK (55% of retailers in Scotland have experienced some form of shop theft over the last year).
Mr Lowman continued: “We are delighted to see that retailers are continuing in their dedication to local community causes, which has become a core part of successful convenience retailing.”
