Press Releases

ACS is supporting the launch of the Government’s new Help for Households campaign, highlighting the important role that the UK’s 47,000+ local shops play in helping customers to save and manage their money during the cost of living crisis.

The Cross Party Group on Small Shops has met to explore the Welsh Government’s retail vision and how small shops are contributing to the delivery of the strategy to regenerate the retail sector in Wales.

The meeting was chaired by Vikki Howells MS and attended by a number of MS’s and independent retail trade associations.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has welcomed a new Competition and Markets Authority review into the fuel market, which highlights the drivers of increased fuel costs.

The review, which was ordered in June by the Business Secretary, was requested after the price of petrol and diesel increased by over 60p in the last year.

The Scottish Government has outlined its plans to restrict the promotion of high fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) products in a new consultation published today (1st July). 

In the consultation, the Scottish Government sets out a range of options for the number of categories of product that would be included within the restrictions, as well as the restrictions themselves which fall into two main categories – location restrictions and promotional restrictions. 

Today (28^th June) new provisions come into force to make attacking an individual who serves the public, including shopworkers, an aggravated offence. This was introduced in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts (PCSC) Act.

Figures from the ACS 2022 Crime Report show that in the last year, 89% of colleagues working in convenience stores have faced abuse in their job, with over 35,000 incidents of violence taking place and over 16,000 incidents including the use of a weapon.

The Welsh Government has launched a new strategy to regenerate the retail sector in Wales, outlining the challenges faced by retail businesses in Wales.

The shared strategic vision for the retail sector sets out how the Welsh Government, the sector and trade unions will work together in partnership to ensure that the retail sector has a bright and sustainable future in Wales.

The vision identifies key areas where action is needed, these include:

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is reminding retailers about the upcoming changes to the tobacco track and trace system.

From Monday 13th June 2022, retailers may receive an email from Dentsu about the changes from the previous tobacco track system to De La Rue (DLR) over to the Dentsu system.

Retailers will also receive a second email between 20^th June and 1^st July 2022 and it is important that retailers do not delete this email, as this registers businesses on the live system.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) is encouraging retailers to get involved in this year’s Loneliness Awareness Week (13^th – 17^th June), highlighting the vital role that local shops play in alleviating loneliness in their communities.

Loneliness Awareness Week is an annual event hosted by Marmalade Trust, aiming to reduce the stigma around loneliness and encourage people to talk more openly about it.

The Welsh Government has today (9^th June) launched two consultations as part of its ambition to tackle obesity in Wales, setting out proposals to restrict HFSS products in stores and introducing a minimum age of sale of 16 for energy drinks.

ACS (the Association of Convenience Stores) has responded to the publication of an independent review into smoking in England, raising concerns about the impact of a recommendation to raise the minimum age of sale by one year every year until no-one can legally access tobacco products. ACS has welcomed proposals for more funding to tackle the illicit tobacco market.