Press Releases

The 2022 Local Shop Report has revealed the enormous contribution that convenience stores in the UK make to people’s lives, not just as essential grocery businesses, but as job creators, community hubs and beacons of entrepreneurship.

This year’s report highlights the decisions being made in the UK’s 48,590 convenience stores in areas like investment, staffing, product mix, technology and service offerings, and delivery.

Today (8^th September) new Prime Minister Liz Truss announced the much-anticipated support plan to help households and businesses cope with spiralling energy costs.

Speaking to the House of Commons, Prime Minister Liz Truss said: “I recognise that people are struggling with their energy bills and that is why I have brought forward this debate as soon as possible to give people reassurance before this winter that energy bills will be affordable.”

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a consultation launched by the Welsh Parliament’s Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee on reducing single-use plastics in Wales, calling for clarification on timescales for the proposals.

ACS has briefed MPs on the important role that local shops play in ensuring that their communities have access to healthy foods ahead of a Westminster Hall debate on the Healthy Start Scheme.

Healthy Start is a government scheme for those who are at least 10 weeks pregnant, parents, carers and young children in low-income families, to help them buy healthy food and milk and get free Healthy Start vitamins. It is a digital scheme that offers a prepaid card to those applying for Healthy Start instead of paper vouchers. 

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the Welsh Government consultation on introducing restrictions on high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) products highlighting the impact on retailers and need for a consistent regulatory approach across the UK.

The consultation looks at HFSS products in terms of placement, promotions and defining what products are impacted. The Welsh Government’s proposals are similar to those being introduced in England on HFSS products, but there are some key differences:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to a consultation reviewing the current law on selling in imperial and metric units, highlighting a number of issues that a move to dual pricing would have on businesses, consumers and the wider community.

The Welsh Government has published a draft Bill which seeks to ban or restrict the sale of some of the most commonly littered single-use plastics in Wales, including a ban on plastic bags which are currently subject to a 5p charge.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has submitted evidence to the CMA’s detailed market study into fuel pricing, highlighting the competitive nature of fuel pricing and the limited impact that retailers can have on the overall fuel price.

The market study follows a review ordered by Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng in June, which was requested after the price of petrol and diesel increased by over 60p in the previous 12 months.

The market study is focusing on what the CMA sees as the two main factors affecting the increase in the fuel price:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has highlighted the importance of transitional arrangements in advance of the business rates revaluation due in 2023 in a submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

In the submission, ACS makes a number of recommendations including:

The Welsh Parliament’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee has published a report on the impact of the cost of living crisis on businesses and communities across Wales.

ACS gave oral evidence to the Committee, which has been cited in the report, highlighting the need for the Welsh Government to provide support to local shops in Wales by helping them to invest in energy efficiency measures, recognising the status of employment in convenience stores, and taking action to ensure that stores can get the deliveries that they need.